Spartans, Indians battle for first place in BRC
SHS hosts Menomonie in homecoming gameBy: By Don Leighton, For The Telegram, Superior Telegram
- SHS Football
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Four games into the 2009 football season, there are two undefeated teams in the Big Rivers Conference — The Superior High School Spartans and the Menomonie Indians.
It just so happens that the two will face each other at 7 p.m. today at Ole Haugsrud Field.
The Spartans enter the contest with an overall record of 2-2 after losing to Stevens Point, the No. 4 team in the state, and to powerhouse D.C. Everest by two points. Five turnovers in each game were too much to overcome for Superior.
Two weeks ago the Spartans defeated a tough Hudson team, ranked at the time No. 15 in the state, 14-7. Outstanding defense and taking care of the ball were the key contributors to that victory.
A week ago the Spartans traveled to Rice Lake to face the Warriors on their new artificial turf field. The Spartans appeared sluggish for most of the game, and Rice Lake had a chance to take the lead at 15-14 with a little more than a minute to go but came up a yard short on a two-point conversion attempt.
Superior’s defense has been playing great all season long, as has Menomonie’s (3-1). Both teams have allowed 70 points in four games.
Menomonie is led by senior all-conference quarterback Kasey Kruse, who is the leading passer, rusher and scorer for the Indians. He has outstanding company with running backs Brady Benn, Joe Neeb and Matt Pearson. Austin Berend and 2008 All-BRC tight end Levi Kraft give Kruse dangerous targets for the passing game.
The Spartans are led by quarterback Kellen McKoshen and running backs Zach Colvin, Dan Quade and Chad Murray. If the Spartans take care of the ball and keep the dangerous Menomonie offense off the field, good things will happen.
Colvin is Superior’s leading rusher with 184 yards on 22 carries. Murray has added 131 yards, Zach Erickson 102 yards and AJ Soland 100.
McCoshen, who has completed 16-of-46 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns, and his mates have improved vastly from the start of the year when the only returning starter was Colvin.
Mike LaValley, Ethan Taylor and Nikko Bogojevich have anchored a stingy defense all season long.
If ever there was a match where all aspects of the game need to be in synch, this is the one.
SPARTAN SPIN: Taylor leads the Spartans with 47 tackles, Colvin has 36, Jake Turkowski 25 and Scott Collins 22. … The Superior Scholarship Foundation will host a tailgate party from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the stadium. Food will be sold and information about the foundation will be distributed.
Tags: have fun or get out of the way, sports, superior, spartans, football, collections
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