Pioneer looming this week for Cavs
CULVER — Winning is always just what the doctor ordered for whatever ails a team and Culver’s Cavs picked up that Homecoming “W” last week against Caston.
“We’ve been close for a few weeks, even against Winamac if we’d shown up a little better,” said Culver coach Mike Zehner. “It was homecoming and our kids really came out to play from start to finish.
We kept to our game plan, we got a few turnovers in the second half and we really needed that. We haven’t had many turnovers.”
“They got the kickoff in the second half took it down and scored and they only had two more offensive plays until the end of the game,” said Zehner. “Those two plays resulted in turnovers.”
The coach was most pleased his guys rose to the challenge.
“We challenged them throughout the week,” he said. “We didn’t have a great practice on Thursday. We were just kind of going through the motions. It took me and a couple of the other coaches to get after them and say ‘This is homecoming. This is exciting’. We had a great crowd and we were excited.”
The reward is a monster of a close to the season with unbeaten Laville in the final week and one of the best programs in the state this week in Pioneer.
“I always look forward to these games whether I’m coaching them or playing in them,” said Zehner. “You always want to be that program, the Jimtown’s and the Pioneers of the world. You want to be a good football player you want to show up in big games. Big-time players do that.
“We’ve told them that we have to be at a new level of intensity and pace of play, in all three aspects of the game,”
he said. “We had a good week of practice. We are excited about the opportunity to play another week.”
The speed of the Panthers is what jumps out on film. Their speed is first and foremost,” said Zehner. “They aren’t big upfront but they get off the ball. Their pad level is low. Obviously, their guys on the edge can scare you. Their quarterback is good, their fullback is really good. He had about 165 yards against Knox last week just running traps.”
“You can’t simulate 4.5 speed in practice. There aren’t a lot of kids running around that can run a 4.5 forty.”
The Cavs are built to give a team like Pioneer trouble with a ball-control offense. Culver will be challenged to the utmost to make the game plan work.
“We want to grind it out and get first downs whatever way we can,” said Zehner. “We know they are going to be fast. We know they are going to get 11 guys to the ball, and we have to match that intensity and have some fun.”