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Warriors face toughest test yet
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Black Hawk running back Brody Milz has rushed for over 1,300 yards this season. (Times photo: Marissa Weiher)

Potosi-Cassville (9-2) at

Black Hawk (11-0)



What: WIAA Division 7 state quarterfinal game

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: South Wayne

Last meeting: Black Hawk beat Potosi-Cassville 30-12 in Week 2



Notes:

Black Hawk: Enters the game averaging 53 points per game.

The Warriors will have a healthy offensive line to face Potosi-Cassville after Avery Baumgartner was injured and played through pain in the first meeting.

The Warriors have forced 39 turnovers this season (21 fumble recoveries and 18 interceptions). Senior Michael Flanagan leads a strong secondary with six interceptions.

The Warriors are averaging 354.5 rushing yards per game and have two running backs who have eclipsed the 1,000-rushing yard milestone: Brody Milz and Colby Argall. Milz rushed for 210 yards in the first meeting against the Chieftains, while Argall had 132.

Black Hawk beat Potosi-Cassville in the first game despite five fumbles and 18 penalties.



Potosi-Cassville: The Chieftains Wing-T base offense is averaging 47 points per game.

The Chieftains are led by fullback Dylan Pluemer (1,077 rushing yards and 21 TDs) and running back Ty Bausch (1,042 rushing yards, 17 TDs) in eight games.

Potosi-Cassville quarterback Will Bierman has passed for 1,220 yards with 15 TDs and five interceptions. The Warriors intercepted Bierman twice in the first meeting.

Potosi-Cassville was limited to just 65 rushing yards the first time the two teams played in Week 2.

SOUTH WAYNE - The Black Hawk football team has been on a collision course with Six Rivers Conference rival Potosi-Cassville since the playoffs began.

Black Hawk (11-0), ranked No. 3 in the WisSports.net Division 7 Coaches Poll, will host Potosi-Cassville (9-2) in a WIAA Division 7 state quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. Friday at Murphy Field in South Wayne.

Both teams feature prolific offenses that are putting up video-game like numbers and are averaging more than 45 points per game. It's a rematch of a Week 2 game when the Warriors had five fumbles and committed 18 penalties, but still knocked off the Chieftains 30-12. Black Hawk senior defensive back Michael Flanagan had two interceptions in the first meeting and sophomore Avery Baumgartner played through an injury.

"You can't put a lot of stock into Week 2. We are two pretty even teams. They have overcome a couple of injuries and we have had some injuries," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "We know each other so well. They (Potosi-Cassville) feel good about what they are going to do and are not going to change and we feel good about what we do and we are not going to change. It will come down to who establishes the run, has fewer turnovers and penalties. It will be a tremendous football game."

The Warriors run a high-powered triple option offense that features two running backs with more than 1,000 yards. Black Hawk senior Brody Milz has rushed for 1,334 yards with 23 touchdowns and junior Colby Argall has rushed for 1,228 and 23 TDs. It's been a solid one-two punch all season that has created big plays. The Black Hawk duo combined for 235 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in a 68-15 win over Iowa-Grant last week. The Warriors are averaging 354.5 rushing yards and 53 points per game.

"We have grown into it," Milz said of the Warriors' success with the triple option offense. "We have been running the same offense since 2004 and we know how it can be stopped. We feel like if we dominate the line of scrimmage we can definitely run the ball."

Potosi-Cassville runs a Wing-T offense that uses multiple formations - from the I-formation, to the Wing-T, to the spread to trips with three wide receivers to one side of the field.

"They throw everything at you in terms of formations," Milz said. "They give you just about every type of look you can imagine."

Just like the Warriors, the Chieftains have two backs who have eclipsed 1,000 yards. Potosi-Cassville fullback Dylan Pluemer has rushed for 1,077 yards with 21 TDs this season and running back Ty Bausch has 1,042 yards with 17 TDs. Bausch is averaging 130.2 yards per game in the eight games he has played.

"They want to run the football. The Bausch kid is really fast," Milz said. "Just like with any high school team we want to make them one-dimensional and stop the run. They have weapons all over the field. We have to be careful with our rush because they will hit us with the fullback."

Potosi-Cassville quarterback Will Bierman has passed for 1,220 yards with 15 TDs and five interceptions. The top playmakers for the Warriors on defense are Milz at linebacker, who has racked up 126 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three interceptions. Senior teammate Jett Rufenacht has a team-high 4.5 sacks. The Warriors have forced 39 turnovers this year, an average of 3.5 per game. Flanagan has six of the team's 18 interceptions this year.

"I think their quarterback is outstanding," Milz said of Bierman. "They have good receivers who can really catch the ball."

The Chieftains are led by a big offensive line with two linemen at 290 and 280 pounds.

"They are big," Milz said.

The Chieftains run a 4-4 defensive front.

"They try to get penetration and create creases," Milz said. "It makes it difficult to run between the tackles on them."

Flanagan has completed 61.4 percent of his passes and has passed for 747 yards with 11 TDs and just three interceptions. The top two receivers for the Warriors are Rufenacht, who has 20 receptions for 413 yards and seven touchdowns, and senior Jason Treuthardt (10 catches for 216 yards and 5 TDs).

"He (Flanagan) has had a phenomenal season," Milz said. "Mike has done a good job of making reads and throwing the ball. We like our team and we feel like we can complete passes if we need to."

Milz expects a swarm of support Friday night.

"Home field is only an advantage if you have a large crowd and they are loud," he said. "You have two towns coming to support them (Potosi-Cassville). We are the only one from this area still left in the playoffs. I'm sure there will be some people from those other towns coming to watch. I'm hoping we have a large crowd. I know our kids will go out there and fight as hard as they can."