Thermopolis Preparing for Buffalo Re-Match

THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON IS COMING TO A CLOSE. ON FRIDAY TEAMS WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE SEMI-FINAL ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS AND THEIR ARE RE-MATCHES GALORE. IN CLASS 2A THE THERMOPOLIS BOBCATS FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A 4-4 OVERALL RECORD, 4-2 IN CONFERENCE PLAY EARNING THE 3 SEED FOR THE POSTSEASON. IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS THE BOBCATS PUT UP 49 POINTS EN ROUTE TO A 49-14 WIN OVER LYMAN AND NOW GET SET FOR A REMATCH WITH A BUFFALO TEAM THAT BEAT THEM 28-14 EARLIER IN THE SEASON. HEAD COACH OF THE BOBCATS MATT MCPHIE ON THE RE-MATCH.

“WE FEEL LIKE WE PLAYED THEM TOUGH ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO. I TOLD THE BOYS AFTER THAT GAME, AS WE HUDDLED UP THEIR IN BUFFALO, I SAID IF THEIR’S ANY CHANCE WE HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT THESE GUYS I KNOW THEY WOULD TAKE ON THAT CHALLENGE AND THAT’S KIND OF MOTIVATED US.”

DEFENSIVELY THIS IS GOING TO BE A TEST FOR THE BOBCATS AS BUFFALO ENTERS THE GAME AS THE NUMBER 1 TEAM IN THE CONFERENCE RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. THEY AVERAGE 285 YARDS ON THE GROUND. COACH MCPHIE ON WHAT BUFFALO DOES WELL OFFENSIVELY.

“THEY HAND THE BALL OFF TO ROWEN RUBY. THEY DO IT REALLY, REALLY WELL. ROWEN’S A GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYER. HE RUNS HARD, I DON’T KNOW HOW FAST HE IS BUT HE LOOKS AS FAST AS ANYONE I HAVE SEEN IN THE STATE. THEN THEY’VE GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER KIDS, THE HATCH KID IS REAL GOOD AS WELL. THEY TAKE SOME SHOTS IN THE AIR BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT BUFFALO AND YOU LOOK AT THEIR OFFENSE, IT GOES THROUGH RUBY. HE’S A TOUGH FOOTBALL PLAYER AND WE’VE GOT OUR HANDS FULL FRIDAY NIGHT.”

THAT BEING SAID, DON’T SLEEP ON THE BOBCATS OFFENSE. WITH MULTIPLE PLAY-MAKERS AT THEIR DISPOSAL COACH MCPHIE ADDS THE BOBCATS OFFENSE IS FUN TO WATCH.

“YOU KNOW SIX, SEVEN GUYS THAT TOUCH THE BALL EVERY GAME. WE’VE GOT A COUPLE OF HORSES. I FEEL LIKE OUR QUARTERBACK, DUSTIN HARVEY, HE’S NUMBER 2 IN 2A IN OFFENSIVE YARDS. HE THROWS IT AROUND, HE’S ACCURATE WITH THE FOOTBALL, HE RUN’S THE FOOTBALL EFFECTIVELY. HE’S GOT A BUNCH OF GUYS OUT THERE HE LIKES TO GET THE BALL TOO, LOGAN COLE IS ONE OF THEM THAT COMES TO MIND. WE’VE GOT A COUPLE KIDS OUT AT RECEIVER THAT, THEY TOUCH THE BALL IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I THINK WE’RE PRETTY BALANCED.”

AND WITH TWO HIGH PROFILE TEAMS GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD COACH MCPHIE UNDERSTANDS THAT EVERY PHASE OF THE GAME IS CRUCIAL TO THE OUTCOME.

“WELL THIS MIGHT NOT SURPRISE ANYONE BUT I THINK IT’S GOING TO COME DOWN TO SPECIAL TEAMS. IT REALLY DOES. SOMETIMES IT’S NOT ARE YOU GONNA BLOCK A PUNT, ARE YOU GONNA RUN A KICK-OFF BACK, BUT JUST THE HIDDEN YARDS, THE FIELD POSITION THAT SPECIAL TEAMS GIVES YOU. I’M GONNA GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY SPECIAL TEAMS IS GOING TO BE THE DIFFERENCE FRIDAY NIGHT.”

IT’S THE BOBCATS VS. THE BISON FRIDAY WHEN THERMOPOLIS TRAVELS TO BUFFALO. KICK-OFF IS SCHEDULED FOR 6PM.