Panther quarterback Jacob Nicol looks downfield for a receiver. Fairbanks will travel to West Liberty-Salem on Friday.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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The Fairbanks Panthers will go on the road to face the multiple offensive formations of the West Liberty-Salem Tigers on Friday.
The Panthers will take a 5-2 record into the game, which is the same as the Tigers.
“On film, we’ve seen an empty backfield to the double wing and just about everything in between,” said FHS head coach Patrick Cotter. “They will run the ball a little more than they throw it.”
West Liberty is led by junior quarterback Trevor Woodruff.
“He’s got a nice arm and is very accurate when he throws the ball,” said Cotter. “He can also run it and is very effective doing that when it’s needed.”
Konner Smith is another weapon at both running back and receiver, as is running back Zayne Reed.
“Reed is a very hard runner,” said Cotter. “I would call him a proto-typical West Liberty-Salem running back.”
The Tigers’ offensive threats are fronted by a good line that features the likes of Jarret Meeker, Isaac Lee and Major Stratton.
“They’re not overly huge as a line, but they are aggressive,” said Cotter.
The Panther coach said the biggest challenge for his defensive unit this week will be dealing with all of the Tigers’ different set-ups.
“They are going to try and ‘formation’ us,” said Cotter. “We are going to have to recognize each formation and know where we are supposed to be.
“We will have to know our assignments and just go out and play football.”
West Liberty will throw a 4-3 defense with cover two and three in the secondary at the Panthers.
“They like to bring pressure from the edges,” said Cotter. “Their defense is nothing flashy… it’s just good assignment football.”
Fairbanks’ offensive success will be based upon the play of linemen Sam Rengert, Dakota Key, Ethan Chippas, Matt Bouic and Billy Reed-Bodey.
“They have to keep Jacob (quarterback Nicol) clean,” said Cotter. “They also have to open lanes for our stable of running backs.”
Cotter said if the Panthers can establish their ground game, that will open opportunities for Nicol to throw the ball.
“At this point, I think it’s hard for any defense to key on what we do,” he said. “We’ve been able to run the ball when we want to and throw it when we want to.
“The key to winning this game will be for us to just do our jobs on offense, defense and special teams,” said Cotter. “We have to be aggressive on both sides of the ball and just go out and play fast and loose.”