This week their opponent will be No. 7 seed Kent Denver (9-2), which will be a road game for the Pirates.
Olathe began the opening round of the Class 2A state playoffs a little slow. They went three-and-out on their first couple of series. But it didn’t take long before they lit up the score board, scoring on five consecutive possessions to take a 38-0 lead into halftime.
 Olathe's defense will be asked to contain the Class 2A No. 1 rated running back. Tyler Jackson, of Kent Denver, has rushed for 2,328 yards on the season. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement |
“This is going to be a regular game for us,” OHS head coach Ryan Corn said. “We’ve gone through the same progressions this week that we’ve gone through all season.”
For the Pirates this weekend, they will playing with a healthy group and look to keep their game plan simple.
Defensively, they will have their hands full in trying to stop a very potent Sun Devil offense. Kent Denver’s offensive unit is lead by running back Tyler Jackson. Jackson has led all rushers on his team this season with 2,328 yards and has scored 29 touchdowns. He has a 12-yard average per rush.
Corn said that his defensive unit needs to shut down Jackson.
“They have one of the top runners in the state,” he said. “This kid is tough. Last week against Erie he rushed for 256 yards. He is just one of those backs that demands a lot of attention on the field.”
Corn said that if they can contain Jackson, then his unit can concentrate on playing good defense.
For senior defensive back Kris Nieto, limiting the Sun Devils to explosive plays on offense has been something the defense has worked on all week.
“We’ve been working on pursuit drills all week,” Nieto said. “Our defense needs to contain him (Jackson) and not allow the big play. It we do that than will alright.”
Offensively the Pirates haven’t had much trouble all season. they’ve scored at will on most of their opponents and Corn believes that this weekend should be no different.
“Offensively it’s about establishing our game and being able to do what we do best, which is run the ball and set up our play action.”
This match-up will be a repeat of last season’s second round game and Corn knows that with the exception from a few players that this Kent Denver team will pretty much be the same squad that they faced last year.
“We’ve seen a lot of their kids and know what they do and knowing that should make for a pretty interesting game.”
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!