Game Preview: Football vs. SM West

The Lancer football team will be facing off against the SM West Vikings in the annual Nut Cup. Each year the two teams battle for the traveling Nut Cup trophy, which head coach Chip Sherman says always makes the game extra special.

Both teams are currently 6-1, as they were when they met in 2010. East took home the victory that year, breaking their 15-year losing streak in the rivalry. Last year the teams met with 4-3 records and West won, taking back the Nut Cup.

The Lancers’ key for winning back the trophy will be total team defense. East will be taking on a powerful rushing attack, led by West’s running back Brett Sterbach. Sterbach currently leads the league with 15 rushing touchdowns and is second in rushing yards with 1,235. East linebackers have been strong all season, but West will be tough competition. According to Sherman, the Lancers have a good defensive plan, making him confident going into the game.

West has a strong secondary which will be difficult for quarterback Jordan Darling in terms of passing. With senior wide receiver David Sosna out, Darling will be looking for senior tight end Billy Sutherland to step up like he did last week, and also junior wide receiver Christian Blessen. West lost safety Robert Rice to a season-ending injury last week, so he will have to be replaced. East plans on trying to keep a balance between running the ball and passing like they normally do.

Darling says the team has been working hard this week in preparing for the game.

“We put in a lot of roll outs this weeks,” Darling said. “It’ll make the reads easy for me. There’s gonna be some crossing routes to mix up the secondary and make it hard on them. We’re just looking forward to giving 110 percent out there.”

The winner of this game will also most likely claim either the first or second seed in 6A East. This ensures a first round matchup with either the seventh or eighth seed. The loser of this game will probably enter the playoffs as the fifth or sixth seed.

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Can’t make the game, watch it live at 7 p.m. here.