COLMAN – No. 1 Colman-Egan has not lost a game all season. Their closest call came last week against Wosley-Wessington in the semifinals of the 9B Playoffs. The Hawks defeated the Warbirds 46-36 to advance to the championship.
Colman-Egan now turns their attention to No. 6 Herreid/Selby Area. The Wolverines upset No. 3 Dell Rapids St. Mary 48-38 in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Harding County 54-32 in the semifinals.
“They’re a good physical team,” Colman-Egan head coach Chad Williamson said. “They’re very well coached. They have some good athletes that they utilize really well. Defensively, they really fly to the ball well and do a good job of executing their defense and tackling well. They run a lot of different formations and are a difficult team to prepare for.”
Each team likes to run the ball. Whether it’s the running back or the quarterback, each team has put up a lot of yards and a lot of points. The Hawks average 253.8 yards per game on the ground and are led by running back Eli Bowen, who has 1,213 yards. Quarterback Nate Tolley has 957 yards as well.
“The key to the game will be which team can win the line of scrimmage. Both teams have the firepower to put up points,” Herreid/Selby Area head coach Randall Clayton said. “We will have to be disciplined and fundamentally sound on defense to have a chance in the game. They have a lot of athletes on the field and a very special player at QB that is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.”
The Wolverines average 334.8 yards per game and are led by running back Clayton Randall II who has 1,729 yards. Quarterback Wade Begeman has 1,402 yards on the season. Williamson said the Hawks won’t change their game plan and will stick to what has put his team in this position.
“You don’t change your game plan. We work on tackling every week. You make sure that when you tackle, you wrap up, keep your head up and do it right. We’re not changing our game plan because of their players. We face good running backs all year long. We just acknowledge that they have a very good quarterback, a very good running back, a very good receiver and a very physical line,” Williamson said.
One thing that has led to the Hawks’ success is winning the turnover battle. Colman-Egan has turned the ball over just seven times this season and has forced 24 turnovers. Tolley leads the team with seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Williamson said the turnover battle will decide who wins the game.
“I think it comes down to turnovers. Everybody always says that, but that was a big key to our victory against Wosley-Wessington. We didn’t turn the ball over and they turned it over three times. We were able to score on those turnovers, so I think that’s going to be a big thing,” Williamson said.
The Hawks and Wolverines will kick things off at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Dana. J Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings.
