Friday marks the final time two founding members of the Southeast Kansas League will play each other on the football fields as SEK opponents.
Iola High’s Mustangs and Columbus High’s Titans go into the SEK contest at Columbus with 0-3 marks. Both have played three SEK games to open the 2011 season.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at the Columbus football field.
Iola is headed to the Pioneer League next year. Columbus leaps into the CNC (Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee) League after this year.
“We’ve had long practices this week,” said Rick Horton, Mustang head coach. “We would have liked to have just focused on getting better with what we do but with Columbus, you have to spend time defensively preparing for its spread offense.”
Horton said the Titans present teams with a lot of different offensive looks. “Just because they are five wide (five wide receivers) and an empty backfield doesn’t mean they are just going to throw the ball. There’s a lot of motion and our kids defensively have to recognize the formation quickly.”
Columbus is coming off a 41-7 loss to Chanute. Iola tries to bounce back from a 71-28 loss to Coffeyville.
“We’re a young team, staring several sophomores and freshmen,” said Dan Grundy, Columbus head coach. “We feel we’re better than the scores of our games show. We do have talent.”
Grundy said defensively the Titans are getting better but have been susceptible to big plays this season. On offense, “we’ve been pass happy more than we want,” he said.
“We really want to run the football and that’s what we’ve been working on this week.”
The Titans are led offensively by senior quarter back Travis Jones. They have freshman Zane Roark listed as running back but any of their four wide receivers or Jones will run the football.
“Their best athlete on the team from what we’ve seen on film is Dustin Morris. Morris is a wide receiver but he can run with the football effectively,” Horton said. “Also they’ll fake a pitch and Jones keeps the football and runs with it.”
Grundy said Tyler Elmore, a senior wide receiver, runs with the football. He pointed to the Titan offensive line as a focus this week.
“We need to establish a run game first and that starts up front,” Grundy said.
On defense, Grundy said the Titan defensive ends — Gavin Houser, a junior, and Trevor Mclaughlin, a senior — have led the team.
For the Mustangs, Horton said the team had some good news on the injury front. They have freshman lineman Trey Colborn and sophomore wide receiver Jacob Rhoads back. Colborn did play some last week.
Senior lineman Brad Bazo is cleared from his concussion suffered in the Parsons game but now has bronchitis.
“Columbus is just like us in that we both shoot ourselves in the foot. We have drives materialize then have a penalty, a missed pass play or a turnover,” Horton said.
“We have to run the ball better Friday night. We went back to wide splits for our offensive linemen this week. When you run a zone offense, the wider splits naturally open running lanes.”
Horton said the Mustangs aren’t afraid to throw the ball against Columbus. He said it was important the Mustangs establish the run to pull the defensive backs up toward the line of scrimmage.
The Mustang coaches made some switches in personnel for this game. With Colborn back, he will step back in his starting spot at left guard plus start on the defensive interior line.
Rhoads is back starting at wide receiver. Horton said Devon Conner and Bryce Misenhelter will be rotated into the wide receiver spots.
Jerrik Sigg moves from free safety to outside linebacker. Horton said Corey Taylor and Tyler McIntosh will rotate in to give Sigg a breather.
Gavin Wilson, a senior, and Adam Kauth, a sophomore, get their first varsity start of the season. Wilson is at cornerback and Kauth is at free safety.
“Defensively, we have to make the tackles. We have to read Columbus’ offensive sets quickly and come up and make the plays,” Horton said.
Probable Starters
Iola High Mustangs
Offense
QB — Mason Coons, 6-1, 176, Jr.
TB — Jerrik Sigg, 6-1, 172, Sr.
FB — Devin Culler, 6-1, 182, Sr.
WR — Clint Heffern, 5-10, 165, Sr.
TE — Corey Taylor, 6-3, 151, Sr.
LT — Eli Grover, 6-0, 225, Jr.
LG — Trey Colborn, 5-9. 240, Fr.
C — Zach Crawford, 5-9, 171, Sr.
RG — Blake Appling, 5-11, 192, Sr.
RT — Kris Collins, 6-4, 324, Sr.
WR — Jacob Rhoads, 5-8, 160, So.
PK — Isaias Macias, 5-7, 152, So
Defense
E — Zach Crawford, 5-9, 171, Sr.
L — Trey Colborn, 5-9, 240, Fr.
L — Eli Grover, 6-0, 225, Jr.
E — Devin Culler, 6-1, 182, Sr.
LB — Jerrik Sigg, 6-1, 172, Sr.
LB — Derrick Weir, 5-8, 161, So.
LB — Kaden Macha, 6-0, 168, Fr.
LB — Eric Heffern, 5-11, 159, Jr.
CB — Clint Heffern, 5-10, 165, Sr.
CB — Gavin Wilson, 5-9, 149, Sr.
FS — Adam Kauth, 6-3, 152, So.
P — Devon Conner, 6-0, 153, Sr.
Columbus High Titans
Offense
QB — Travis Jones, 5-10, 175, Sr.
RB — Zane Roark, 5-8, 170, Fr.
WR — Dustin Morris, 6-4, 175, Sr.
WR — Dillon Danner, 5-6, 140, Jr.
T — Lance King, 5-11, 190, Jr.
G — Aaron Napier, 5-10, 175, JR.
C — Wyatt Johnson, 5-11, 240, Jr.
G — Austin Qualls, 6-0, 195, Sr.
T — Robi Mikowlski, 6-0, 235, Sr.
WR — Tyler Elmore, 5-10, 165, Sr.
WR — A.J. Randle, 6-2, 200, So.
PK — Justin Foust, 6-3, 190, So.
Defense
DE — Gavin Houser, 5-11, 205, Jr.
DL — Tyson Hallam, 5-11, 345, Sr.
DE — Trevor Mclaughlin, 6-1, 255, Sr.
LB — Tyler Elmore, 5-10, 165, Sr.
LB — Taylor Atkins, 5-7, 160, Fr.
LB — Trent Martin, 5-10, 175, Sr.
LB — Austin Qualls, 6-0, 195, Sr.
LB — A.J. Randle, 6-2, 200, So.
CB — Dustin Morris, 6-4, 175, Sr.
FS — Travis Jones, 5-10, 175, Sr.
CB — C.J. Freeman, 5-8, 145, Sr.
P — Travis Jones
