Old rings provide no new motivation for Richlands

There are a number of motivational tactics Richlands coach Greg Mance could use in his pregame speech before Friday night’s Region IV, Division 3 playoff opener.

None of them will involve last year’s state title.

"We don’t talk about last year," he said. "We got the payoff with those [championship] rings. It’s over and it’s time for these young players to step up."

The Blue Tornadoes will try to do so against Patrick County, which had to go down to the last minute of its last game before clinching the final Division 3 spot with a 25-20 win over Martinsville.

But Mance said his team won’t overlook the Cougars (5-5), which had to win three games in the season’s last 10 days to qualify.

"This is not a true 5-5 team," he said of Patrick County. "They played a real good schedule. They have a lot of talent and are very athletic on defense. It’s going to be a challenge."

One thing which will be a challenge is containing junior tailback John Harris, who has amassed around 2,600 yards the last two years. Harris’ 64-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter against Martinsville brought the Cougars back from a 20-19 deficit.

However, Harris will have his own issues trying to solve Richlands’ 5-2 slant defense, which has allowed just 110 yards per game on the ground despite some slippage over the season’s second half.

Offensively, the Blues (8-2) have scored 81 points in their last three halves, suggesting they’re starting to find a rhythm.

"The offensive line has continually improved over the season and is doing the little things you need to do to win games," Mance said. "We played really well at Carroll County in the second half and then against Grundy."

Marion at Graham

To say that these teams are mirror images is to understate considerably.

Both like to run the ball, preferably with their fullback, mix in the halfback when necessary and pass as an element of surprise. Each plays physically on defense, although the G-Men might blitz more often.

When asked about the comparison, Scarlet Hurricanes coach Steve Wright took it a step farther.

"It’s a compliment to be compared to them, considering their tradition," he said of Graham.

These teams which are nearly alike in style of play and record (6-4) have already met this year. The G-Men won 13-8 on Sept. 14 when Marion fumbled inside the Graham 5 late in the game, a mistake that might have cost it homefield privilege tonight.

Line play and each team’s fullbacks are the storylines in this one. Whichever line can create the most creases for punishing fullbacks Tommy Lyon – the Scarlet Hurricanes’ top rusher with a Southwest District-high 1,124 yards – and Tyler Barreras will be the one who still puts the pads on next week.

For Marion, which hasn’t played in a postseason game since 2002, getting off to a good start might carry a little extra weight.

"I think it will be important to play well early," Wright said, "but we have to be prepared to play 48 minutes."