MAYER – Up until now, the Mayer Lutheran football team has been dominant on their way to a 4-0 start in district play. Come Week 5, the Crusaders will have their toughest test so far this season as they hope to take the next step forward to their second-straight district title.
“Everything says that they’re the team to beat,” Mayer Lutheran coach Dean Aurich said. “I hate to say it, but we’ve played the lower half of the district so far. It should be a good matchup. The stronger team should win, but you never know. It’s homecoming, and homecoming can be a good thing, and sometimes it can be a distraction. We just hope it’s a good thing.”
Both the Crusaders and Knights enter with a perfect record in district play so far. Whoever comes out on top Friday night, will likely be in control of the Mid Southeast (West) district going forward.
“I’m not sure it will wrap anything up, but it will put us in the driver’s seat if we can get through it,” Aurich said. “They’re supposed to be a pretty good team and we’ve never played them before so that’s always a question for us.”
Along with a tough matchup, the Crusaders will also be focused on the fundamentals as they make their way towards the back half of their schedule.
“We’re at the middle of the season and well over halfway of the practices being done,” Aurich said. “The number one thing to never forget is work on the fundamentals. Get better at your first step. Get better at blocking and tackling, and good things happen. When you start thinking of records and you just start looking at the big picture and not the little things, things can get ugly and sometimes you can play flat.”
One major thing the Crusaders will be focusing on heading into their matchup against the Knights is avoiding the big play. Although the defense has been steady all season long, allowing just 9.8 points a game, the Crusaders have given up some big plays this season due to their aggressive nature defensively.
“We’re an aggressive defense,” Aurich said. “That’s a good thing. What we’re trying to do is get rid of that one big play that they get. Being aggressive is a really positive thing, but sometimes you can really run past a play. Our defense has been our strength all year. It keeps us in games. It gives us good field position, and they are playing real well.”
The Crusaders will also be looking to keep their running game going. In their Week 3 win against Medford, both Zander Flucas and Branden Carlson ran for more than 150 yards. If the Crusaders find success in the running game, they can be a tough team to beat.
“Last week, we had two rushers over 150 yards, which is kind of unheard of,” Aurich said. “He’s (Flucas) just a different change of pace and a good deceptive speed runner. He fits right into what we’re doing. Our line is really what opens up the seams, and if those seams open up, we have a really good chance of being good.”