Redskins take to road; face Badin Are You Ready?
The postseason journey continues.
Wapakoneta won its third straight game last Friday, as they defeated Shawnee 15- 0 in the opening round of the Region 12 playoffs in Division III.
Having faced a familiar opponent after just a short road trip, Wapakoneta this week will take on Badin.
The Rams are members of the Greater Catholic League, and will host the game as the higher seed. That means a trip of nearly two hours for the Redskins.
The game will be played at Monroe High School, since Badin does not have a field of its own. Kickoff is set for 7 p. m.
The Rams had a combination of close and large victories in the regular season. They got wins over Ross ( 41- 7), Archbishop Alter ( 14- 12), Chaminade- Julienne ( 40- 14), Bishop Fenwick ( 42- 6), Carroll ( 34- 0) and Mcnicholas ( 10- 7).
They are the number two seed in the region, and the top six teams received byes in the first round.
Coach Travis Moyer of Wapakoneta said that the team has reached the stage “where the goal is to be 1- 0 after each and every week.”
He said that the Redskins are playing better and more consistently than they did at the start of the season.
“We did some really
good things and earned a hard- fought victory,” Moyer said of the win over the Indians.
Looking at the Rams, Moyer started with the quarterback, Landyn Vidourek. Vidourek, a 6- foot- 1, 165- pound junior, has completed 53 of 85 pass attempts for 705 yards, with an average of 8.3 yards per completion. He has thrown eight touchdowns and just one interception. Vidourek has also run 25 times for 66 yards and scored four touchdowns. “He’s very athletic and very skilled,” Moyer said, adding that the goal will be to keep in front of the opposition.
Badin’s top rusher is senior Dallas Rawlings ( 5- 10, 180). He has 54 carries for 242 yards. Other potential ball carriers are junior Jack Walsh ( 5- 8, 165), who has 28 carries for 202 yards; and sophomore Carter Russo ( 58, 160) with 24 carries for 166 yards.
Lucas Moore ( 5- 11, 165) is the Rams’ leading receiver, with 22 catches for 332 yards ( 15.1 average), followed by sophomore Braedyn Moore ( 6- 1, 170), with 16 grabs for 191 yards.
The Redskins’ defense has stepped things up the past couple of weeks, with back- to- back shutouts.
One factor is winning the turnover battle. Moyer said that it is always important to take advantage of turnovers. “We’ve done a good job, and it creates a short field for the offense.”
They have also kept the opponent’s drives short. Last week against Shawnee, they allowed just one third down conversion ( out of 11 attempts).
“I credit our coaches for teaching the fundamentals, sand the kids for going out and executing,” said Moyer.
The Redkskins have turned to a variety of weapons when they have the ball, with four different leading rushers in the last four games. He noted that due to coronavirus quarantines and injuries, they have had just three players start in the same position in every game.
Regarding the challenge of the long trip, Moyer said, “it’s really important to get off to a good start.”
He concluded by noting that the team has repeatedly responded to the challenges during this unusual season. “They have represented the community in a first class manner.”
The winner will meet the winner of Tippecanoe and