Posted by (+6123) 9 years ago
I'll be posting more tonight in terms of individual records and benchmarks achieved by the Cowboys during their win over Glendive last week (as well as standards that the Cowboys can achieve over the remainder of the season), but in the meantime, here is a bit of a preview for the Cowboys' Senior Parents' Night:
The stakes in Friday's game are as simple as possible: the winner gets a playoff berth and the loser goes home for the 2013 season, making this a playoff game for the teams involved. Miles City was in an identical situation this time last year, needing a home victory in order to qualify for the postseason. The Cowboys weren't successful against the Hardin Bulldogs last season, falling 18-12 at Denton Field. The Cowboys have already avenged themselves against Hardin with a 40-20 victory earlier this year, but the similar circumstances around this game mean that Miles City shouldn't feel satisfied with that win alone. With the playoffs on the line, the home team will need to play with greater energy than they exerted against the Bulldogs (and should hopefully get a better boost from the crowd, which was out-cheered by the visiting team in the 2012 Senior Parents' Night game).
Like the 2012 Bulldogs, whose running attack led the way for the team's offense, the 2013 Eagles gain most of their yards on the ground, averaging 223 yards per contest. And as was the case for Hardin last year, when tailback Levi Butkay spearheaded the offense, Sidney features the Eastern `A' Conference's leading rusher in the form of Austin Kendall. Unlike the diminutive but slippery-fast (and surprisingly strong) Butkay, Kendall has size (5'10", 210 lbs) to go along with his speed. Fortunately for Miles City, Kendall isn't quite the back that Billings Central's man-among-boys Holden Ryan is, but he will give the Cowboys all they can handle. On the season, the senior has rushed for 1160 yards and 11 touchdowns (including a 94-yarder against Williston) on 175 carries. He has six 100-yard games this year and has been especially productive over Sidney's last two contests, rushing for 373 yards and seven TDs combined in wins over Glendive and Hardin.
The Eagles' second-leading rusher is Logan Thiel, a 6'0", 165-pound junior who has gained 326 yards on 54 carries. He's also a threat for an occasional reception out of the backfield, having gained 78 yards and a score on seven catches this season.
And while Sidney makes its living on the ground, the Eagles have passed the ball efficiently this year. Their quarterback, Gresh Jones (in addition to keeping alive the tradition of half of Richland County being named either "Gresh," "Melby," or "Gresh Melby," for that matter) has completed 42 of his 74 attempts for 574 yards, eight TDs and five interceptions and has the ability to surprise teams who lock in too much on Kendall. Jones has passed for over 100 yards three times this year - which is roughly two times more than Sidney quarterbacks do on a normal basis - and has completed more than half his passes in all but two games. His best game was a 4-TD / 0-Int effort in a 44-21 win over Lewistown, in which he completed 6 of 10 passes for 114 yards. Jones, a 5'8", 135-pound junior, is not a threat to run, having gained 31 yards on 43 carries this year.
Jones' primary targets are tight end Kory Halvorson (6'2", 210-lb junior) and wide receivers Caleb Benson (6'2", 185-lb senior) and Cody Johnson (5'10", 165-lb junior). Halvorson has a team-leading 11 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Benson has caught 10 passes for a team-high 169 yards and a score and Johnson has added eight catches for 143 yards and a TD. Johnson also handles the kicking duties and has converted 18-of-22 PAT attempts and both of his field goal tries this season, including a 41-yarder.
Defensively, the Eagles are led by Jones, who has a team-leading four interceptions and three fumble recoveries as a defensive back, and Dace Fisher, a 6'0", 195-lb defensive end, who leads the team with 75 total tackles and six sacks.
At one point in time, Sidney was the only current Eastern `A' team against which Miles City had a losing record during the modern era of Cowboy football (1978-Present). From 1978 through 1993, the Eagles were 10-8 against the Cowboys, including victories in the 1982 and 1993 state championship games. But since the 1994 season, Miles City has dominated the series by posting a 15-5 record against their rivals, including the last five contests. The Cowboys' current win streak against the Eagles is the longest such run for the Blue & Gold in the series.
Miles City and Sidney are two of the three winningest programs in Class A since the 1980 realignment, with the Cowboys posting a 239-88 record and the Eagles going 206-105 over that time (Dillon is 214-95 since 1980). Sidney holds an edge in titles, with nine - the last coming in 1993. Miles City has seven. No other Class A team has more than Dillon's five championships.
The winner of Friday's game will earn the Eastern `A' Conference's third seed and will advance to face Havre in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams played the Blue Ponies earlier this season. Sidney won its meeting with Havre, 14-7, in the third week of the season at Swanson Field. The Cowboys had tied the Blue Ponies, 6-6, in Havre one week earlier in a lightning-shortened contest.
Miles City and Sidney have had six common opponents this year. In addition to Havre, the Cowboys and Eagles have both played Livingston and the four other Eastern `A' teams (Billings Central, Glendive, Hardin, and Laurel). Both teams beat Livingston, although the Cowboys did so in considerably more impressive fashion (a 50-13 win compared to a 7-6 victory for Sidney). Miles City and Sidney both lost to Billings Central and Laurel and both beat Glendive and Hardin - all by similar margins (the Cowboys have a 109-96 scoring margin in divisional play, while the Eagles have a 104-86 ratio).
Where exists a decided difference between the teams' strength-of-schedule is when one compares the Cowboys' games against Powell (WY) and Belgrade against Sidney's contests against Williston (ND) and Lewistown. Whereas Powell (8-0) and Belgrade (6-2) are, respectively, the best team in Wyoming and the fourth-ranked Class A team in Montana, Williston (1-7) and Lewistown (1-6) are also-rans / cupcakes / weak sauce / insert-your-adjective-for-non-competitive-teams-here. The Cowboys were blanked, 53-0, by Powell, but were able to apply the lessons learned in that game in a convincing 41-28 victory over Belgrade a few weeks later. It is difficult to ascertain what, if anything, the Eagles were able to gain in their 28-6 win over Williston or their 44-21 victory against Lewistown.
I'm going to avoid making a prediction, other than I believe the Cowboys will win if they use all the weapons at their disposal to their full advantage and play the best game they've played this season. I think Sidney will fight hard to get back into the playoffs after a five-year hiatus (the longest of the Mike Gear / Roger Merritt era) and will give Miles City everything it can. The difference will be how the Cowboys respond. If Miles City takes the game for granted and puts in a mediocre level of effort - as was the case last year against Hardin for the players AND the crowd - the Miles City fans who don't leave the game early will watch the opponent celebrate on the Cowboys' home turf. Again.
But if the Cowboys remember what could have been last year and what still could be this season, I think Miles City could be in position for a deep playoff run. Here's hoping the players follow the example of their quarterback and play with every ounce of hustle and pride they can muster. Neither my sons nor I are ready to watch Ben Herzog's final game.
Much gratitude goes to the good people at http://www.maxpreps.com for the Sidney stats.
[This message has been edited by Brian A. Reed (10/24/2013)]
The stakes in Friday's game are as simple as possible: the winner gets a playoff berth and the loser goes home for the 2013 season, making this a playoff game for the teams involved. Miles City was in an identical situation this time last year, needing a home victory in order to qualify for the postseason. The Cowboys weren't successful against the Hardin Bulldogs last season, falling 18-12 at Denton Field. The Cowboys have already avenged themselves against Hardin with a 40-20 victory earlier this year, but the similar circumstances around this game mean that Miles City shouldn't feel satisfied with that win alone. With the playoffs on the line, the home team will need to play with greater energy than they exerted against the Bulldogs (and should hopefully get a better boost from the crowd, which was out-cheered by the visiting team in the 2012 Senior Parents' Night game).
Like the 2012 Bulldogs, whose running attack led the way for the team's offense, the 2013 Eagles gain most of their yards on the ground, averaging 223 yards per contest. And as was the case for Hardin last year, when tailback Levi Butkay spearheaded the offense, Sidney features the Eastern `A' Conference's leading rusher in the form of Austin Kendall. Unlike the diminutive but slippery-fast (and surprisingly strong) Butkay, Kendall has size (5'10", 210 lbs) to go along with his speed. Fortunately for Miles City, Kendall isn't quite the back that Billings Central's man-among-boys Holden Ryan is, but he will give the Cowboys all they can handle. On the season, the senior has rushed for 1160 yards and 11 touchdowns (including a 94-yarder against Williston) on 175 carries. He has six 100-yard games this year and has been especially productive over Sidney's last two contests, rushing for 373 yards and seven TDs combined in wins over Glendive and Hardin.
The Eagles' second-leading rusher is Logan Thiel, a 6'0", 165-pound junior who has gained 326 yards on 54 carries. He's also a threat for an occasional reception out of the backfield, having gained 78 yards and a score on seven catches this season.
And while Sidney makes its living on the ground, the Eagles have passed the ball efficiently this year. Their quarterback, Gresh Jones (in addition to keeping alive the tradition of half of Richland County being named either "Gresh," "Melby," or "Gresh Melby," for that matter) has completed 42 of his 74 attempts for 574 yards, eight TDs and five interceptions and has the ability to surprise teams who lock in too much on Kendall. Jones has passed for over 100 yards three times this year - which is roughly two times more than Sidney quarterbacks do on a normal basis - and has completed more than half his passes in all but two games. His best game was a 4-TD / 0-Int effort in a 44-21 win over Lewistown, in which he completed 6 of 10 passes for 114 yards. Jones, a 5'8", 135-pound junior, is not a threat to run, having gained 31 yards on 43 carries this year.
Jones' primary targets are tight end Kory Halvorson (6'2", 210-lb junior) and wide receivers Caleb Benson (6'2", 185-lb senior) and Cody Johnson (5'10", 165-lb junior). Halvorson has a team-leading 11 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Benson has caught 10 passes for a team-high 169 yards and a score and Johnson has added eight catches for 143 yards and a TD. Johnson also handles the kicking duties and has converted 18-of-22 PAT attempts and both of his field goal tries this season, including a 41-yarder.
Defensively, the Eagles are led by Jones, who has a team-leading four interceptions and three fumble recoveries as a defensive back, and Dace Fisher, a 6'0", 195-lb defensive end, who leads the team with 75 total tackles and six sacks.
At one point in time, Sidney was the only current Eastern `A' team against which Miles City had a losing record during the modern era of Cowboy football (1978-Present). From 1978 through 1993, the Eagles were 10-8 against the Cowboys, including victories in the 1982 and 1993 state championship games. But since the 1994 season, Miles City has dominated the series by posting a 15-5 record against their rivals, including the last five contests. The Cowboys' current win streak against the Eagles is the longest such run for the Blue & Gold in the series.
Miles City and Sidney are two of the three winningest programs in Class A since the 1980 realignment, with the Cowboys posting a 239-88 record and the Eagles going 206-105 over that time (Dillon is 214-95 since 1980). Sidney holds an edge in titles, with nine - the last coming in 1993. Miles City has seven. No other Class A team has more than Dillon's five championships.
The winner of Friday's game will earn the Eastern `A' Conference's third seed and will advance to face Havre in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams played the Blue Ponies earlier this season. Sidney won its meeting with Havre, 14-7, in the third week of the season at Swanson Field. The Cowboys had tied the Blue Ponies, 6-6, in Havre one week earlier in a lightning-shortened contest.
Miles City and Sidney have had six common opponents this year. In addition to Havre, the Cowboys and Eagles have both played Livingston and the four other Eastern `A' teams (Billings Central, Glendive, Hardin, and Laurel). Both teams beat Livingston, although the Cowboys did so in considerably more impressive fashion (a 50-13 win compared to a 7-6 victory for Sidney). Miles City and Sidney both lost to Billings Central and Laurel and both beat Glendive and Hardin - all by similar margins (the Cowboys have a 109-96 scoring margin in divisional play, while the Eagles have a 104-86 ratio).
Where exists a decided difference between the teams' strength-of-schedule is when one compares the Cowboys' games against Powell (WY) and Belgrade against Sidney's contests against Williston (ND) and Lewistown. Whereas Powell (8-0) and Belgrade (6-2) are, respectively, the best team in Wyoming and the fourth-ranked Class A team in Montana, Williston (1-7) and Lewistown (1-6) are also-rans / cupcakes / weak sauce / insert-your-adjective-for-non-competitive-teams-here. The Cowboys were blanked, 53-0, by Powell, but were able to apply the lessons learned in that game in a convincing 41-28 victory over Belgrade a few weeks later. It is difficult to ascertain what, if anything, the Eagles were able to gain in their 28-6 win over Williston or their 44-21 victory against Lewistown.
I'm going to avoid making a prediction, other than I believe the Cowboys will win if they use all the weapons at their disposal to their full advantage and play the best game they've played this season. I think Sidney will fight hard to get back into the playoffs after a five-year hiatus (the longest of the Mike Gear / Roger Merritt era) and will give Miles City everything it can. The difference will be how the Cowboys respond. If Miles City takes the game for granted and puts in a mediocre level of effort - as was the case last year against Hardin for the players AND the crowd - the Miles City fans who don't leave the game early will watch the opponent celebrate on the Cowboys' home turf. Again.
But if the Cowboys remember what could have been last year and what still could be this season, I think Miles City could be in position for a deep playoff run. Here's hoping the players follow the example of their quarterback and play with every ounce of hustle and pride they can muster. Neither my sons nor I are ready to watch Ben Herzog's final game.
Much gratitude goes to the good people at http://www.maxpreps.com for the Sidney stats.
[This message has been edited by Brian A. Reed (10/24/2013)]