MARCHING ON: Spoofhounds, Warriors set for rematch
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Maryville seniors Brady Atwell (10) and Jalen Sundell (75) combine to tackle St. Pius X quarterback Tommy Hoambrecker during the Spoofhounds’ and Warriors’ regular season game this year in Kansas City, Missouri. The Hounds won 40-20.
In order to win a district championship, first you must win a district semifinal. That sounds like a simple premise, but it is the challenge that the Maryville football team faces this Friday when they host the St. Pius X Warriors.
The game, which will kickoff at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Hound Pound, is a rematch from a Week Two regular season game that saw the Spoofhounds roll past the Warriors 40-20 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The two teams have greatly changed since that original matchup occurred, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
In the first matchup, it was the Jacob Reuter show, as the senior running back rushed for four touchdowns and 173 yards. Reuter was injured against Benton on Sept. 22 and has not played since.
The senior has been around the team and has suited up the past two weeks, so he may re-enter the Hound backfield this week.
Necessity is the mother of invention, however, and with Reuter out, the Hounds have discovered another dynamic offensive weapon with junior running back Eli Dowis.
Dowis did not play in the first game against the Warriors, but with Reuter hurt, Maryville coach Matt Webb began to turn to the speedy Dowis as his primary running back.
In the last three games, Dowis has averaged 136 yards per game and has five touchdowns over that time.
Along with Dowis, junior running back Tyler Houchin has become more of a focal point of the offense and is now the team’s leading rusher this season. Houchin has played in every game this year, while Reuter and Dowis each missed time this season.
If the Spoofhounds are able to get Reuter, Dowis and Houchin all in the lineup together they will have the speed-power complementary-style backfield that they have been searching for all season.
If Reuter returns, that also frees Dowis up to move around to different spots in the offense and line up at receiver or even take some snaps under center in more of a wildcat-style package.
Maryville senior quarterback Will Walker will have to opportunity to have a better game against the Warrior defense than he had in the first outing. With Reuter running so effectively, Walker was primarily asked just to hand the ball off.
With six passing attempts, he only completed one pass for 11 yards. As the season has gone on, Walker has appeared more and more comfortable in the offense and with seniors Brady Atwell and Quentin Ternus and sophomore Tate Oglesby showing an ability to go up and make contested catches, the passing game may see more of an opportunity on Friday.
For the Warriors, their offense also has undergone somewhat of a makeover as they too have started using their speedy running back more.
Senior Will Brockman was primarily just a return specialist in the Week Two matchup, but since then he has become a match more relied upon offensive weapon.
After just seven total carries in the first two weeks, Brockman broke out in Week Three against Nevada. He carried the ball 21 times for 136 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Brockman has touchdowns in seven of the Warriors’ 10 games this season and is the team’s second-leading rusher with 659 yards.
The team’s offense still all goes through their do-it-all senior quarterback Tommy Hoambrecker.
Hoambrecker is the team’s leading rusher this season with 730 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.
The senior has 1,012 passing yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Hoambrecker’s turnovers are something that the Hound defense will try to take advantage of this week after they were unable to make an interception in Week Two against him.
The defense is coming off a three-interception game two weeks ago against Lafayette star quarterback Diego Bernard, so they certainly appear capable of taking advantage of Hoambrecker if he throws the ball in traffic.
A strength of the Warrior offense is that Hoambrecker has been able to spread the ball out to his entire receiving corps all season. The Warriors have five different receivers with between 225 and 120 yards receiving this year.
While juniors Ben Wade and Thomas Ringel are the team’s leading pass-catchers this season with 225 and 203 yards respectively, stopping tight end Andrew Hipp will certainly be a key for the Spoofhounds.
Hipp had his best game of the season against the Hounds in the first matchup with three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. It is safe to say that the 6-foot-6 tight end will have the Spoofhounds attention this time.
The winner of Friday’s game likely will be headed to Chillicothe for the district final next week. The Hornets host Pembroke Hill this Friday and are heavy favorites.
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Maryville senior Garrett Pistole cuts down St. Pius X’s Will Brockman during the Spoofhounds’ and Warriors’ regular season game this year in Kansas City.
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Maryville senior quarterback Will Walker scrambles during the Spoofhounds’ and Warriors’ regular season game this year in Kansas City, Missouri. The Hounds won 40-20.
