Sports
GOTW: Southern Hosts Wahama In TVC-Hocking Matchup
< < Back toGridiron Glory’s week 6 Game of the Week features TVC-Hocking contenders old and new, as the up-and-coming Southern Tornadoes host three-time defending league champ Wahama.
Friday night’s contest should be a battle in the trenches.
The White Falcons (4-1, 3-1 TVC-Hocking) and Tornadoes (5-0, 3-0) both rely heavily on the run game, and each boast a potential Gridiron Glory Player of the Year at tailback.
All-State running back Kane Roush leads the White Falcons’ offense. Through five games, Roush has almost 900 yards of total offense and 16 touchdowns. The senior has also been a key cog in a Wahama defense that is giving up just 9.2 points per game.
The Tornadoes aren't lacking in the rushing department either. Tyler Barton has been the catalyst for Southern’s success with 740 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns of his own. He has help from dual-threat quarterback Tristen Wolfe.
Defensively, Southern is holding its opponents to less than 5 points per contest.
Wahama coach Ed Cromley believes this will be a very tough game due to Southern’s experience.
“We're used to seeing Southern with a lot of underclassmen, but that's not the case this year," Cromley said. "They're 5-0, they will have a big home crowd, and they've been winning and are expecting to continue that."
In order for Cromley's boys to escape with a victory, the White Falcons will have to play well defensively – especially at the middle linebacker position. Cromley said the position has been Wahama’s biggest weakness all season, but the defense made strides of improvement in practice this week.
Southern head coach Kyle Wickline is very aware of Wahama's ground attack.
"Their offensive line is fantastic, added in with two very good running backs, and they possess speed," Wickline said, referring to speedsters Roush, Hunter Bradley, and Colton Neal.
Wahama’s three-headed monster will be tough to contain, but the battle in the trenches will be essential Friday night. The tornadoes must get major contributions from the defensive line and linebacker corps to have a chance at winning.
The Wahama passing game has also improved as of late. Bradley, a transfer this season, has found his role in the Wahama scheme. He has led the White Falcons to three straight offensive performances of 50 points.
Southern and Wahama do have a mutual opponent – both teams downed Belpre in back-to-back weeks. The White Falcons made the score a little more eye-popping, however, as their margin of victory was 30 points greater than Southern’s.
But the transitive property should not receive a glance; the battle of the trenches will decide Friday’s game.
Kickoff in Racine is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.