By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Salina Central has developed a reputation this season as the cardiac kids of Class 5A.
In week four, the Mustangs eeked out a win over Andover on a fake PAT in the waning seconds, in week five, their defense was forced to make a stop in the red zone to halt the advance of Valley Center, and last week, it was the defense that once again came up with a fourth-quarter stop to hold on for a one-point victory.
Now, Central (5-1) returns to Salina to face yet another strong AVCTL-II foe in the Goddard Lions (4-2), who will present a unique challenge for the Mustangs.
“Our league absolutely prepares us for 5A playoff football,” Central head coach Mark Sandbo said. “You have to play your best football week in and week our and I know we all beat each other up but it really does get us ready to play in November.”
While the Mustangs have faced run-heavy units like Valley Center in the past, Goddard takes that philosophy to a whole new extreme, proud of their last-place passing offense that didn’t so much as attempt to put the ball in the air until week three.
The Lions have ground several of their opponents into a fine powder with their rushing attack, that averages 278 yards per game on the ground, ensuring that even the most elite offensive units spend a majority of the game on the sideline.
“Goddard definitely has an identity on both sides of the ball,” Sandbo said. All the great programs do. They’re very content to run the football downhill and they have some variants to keep you honest but Coach Beason has done a great job in his time at Goddard and he’ll have his kids ready come Friday night.”
The three-headed monster that makes this unit go consists of a trio of senior backs in Micah Johnson, Tyson Wallace, and Mason Healy, who combine to average a staggering seven yards per carry through six games.
While this style of offense can be brutal to stop, it does have two achilles heel’s.
Turnovers can completely swing momentum back the other way and give a rested offensive unit the opportunity to hit back in good field position, and it’s not a style of play that’s designed to come from behind.
“They’re a ball-possession team for sure and that’s a strategy we’ve seen teams try to employ against us to cut down our series,’ Sandbo said. “It does change the ballgame but if we can get some three and outs and jump up on them they’re not too comfortable playing down 14 or 21 so we’re going to try to get out in front in what should be a challenging game.”
Kickoff between the Mustangs and Lions is scheduled for 7:00 at Salina Stadium and our Salina Post Game of the Week, can be streamed for free on the Salina Post HERE.