By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Abilene Cowboys (6-1), and Wamego Red Raiders (5-2) will meet tonight in a heavyweight 4A bout, as an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
While Wamego has owned the series in recent memory, this year’s Cowboys are certainly on the rise, and with one more victory will hold the most wins in a season since 2016 heading into the playoffs next week.
“The growth of the program this season and the camaraderie among the kids has been really great to see,” Cowboy head coach Brad Nicks said. “We don’t get caught up in the stats, it’s a real team effort and the kids just want the W at the end of the day.”
In order to pull that feat off, Abilene will have to contend with last year’s 4A state runners-up and a Wamego defense that has returned to form, ranking 1st in scoring defense (9.6 PPGA), and 2nd in total defense (192 yds/GA).
“Our defense has been a strong point again and it needs to be for us to make a run down the stretch,” Weston Moody said. “We have a lot of really good guys on that side of the ball but the Timbrook kid throws it really well and he has a lot of good receiving threats.”
That aforementioned Abilene offense has been stellar in its own right this season, and ranks second in Class 4A in total offense (380 yds/g), and first in passing offense (270 yds/g).
With one of the top 4A offenses set to square off with one of it’s best defenses, the stage is set to see who will blink first, in what could very well be one of the best games across the state this Friday.
For Abilene, their keys to a win will lie in the trenches, where the Cowboys must buy time for Stocton Timbrook to get the air raid offense rolling once again.
“We have to be able to handle them up front on offense,” Nicks said. “They mix up their front and they don’t blitz a ton but they get good pressure. We have to be able to take care of that in both the run and pass game and that’s priority number one.”
Meanwhile for Wamego, pressuring Timbrook and stringing out drives on the ground will be the name of the game, as the Raiders look to play hard-nose, smash-mouth football again this week.
“In football, you have to take away what a team is good at,” Moody said. “Our goal will be to take what they give us offensively and limit their passing game defensively. Ultimately this game will come down to who can make fewer mistakes.”
Kickoff between the Cowboys and Raiders is set for 7:00 and this game will be featured as our Salina Post Game of the Week.
You can stream the game for free on both the Salina, and Little Apple Posts 100% free HERE.