RPAC rivals Med Valley, DCS square off in Week 3 showdown

Thursday, September 7, 2017

CURTIS, Neb. -- Football, especially eight-man football, can be dominated by individuals.

Medicine Valley, however, is showing that the team concept still rules the roost.

The Raiders are 2-0 to start the 2017 season and have shut out its two opponents by a combined score of 94-0. Despite the strong start, head coach Scott Johnsen said he's not surprised by his team's performance.

“We have performed kind of how I expected we would,” Johnsen said. “We've used these first two games as a way to get kids in at different positions and see what works. We have a lot of seniors returning, but the new starters have come in and performed really well.”

Defense has been the name of the game for Med Valley. Against Wallace in Week 1, the Raiders allowed just 16 yards of offense, while Sutherland was limited to under 125 yards.

“The kids really work well together and they’ve done a great job of funneling things when teams try to get to the outside against us,” Johnsen said. "Everyone knows that if they do their job then everyone else will do theirs and they will get stops."

Friday’s contest against a high-powered Dundy County-Stratton offense will be the Raiders’ biggest test of the season yet. The Tigers are coming off a bye week and put up 38 points on Alma.

“We gotta shut down their run game,” Johnsen said. “They’ve got a two-headed monster in the backfield.”

That ‘two-headed monster’ alludes to star running backs Phalen Sanford and Guillermo Diaz. Against Alma, the two combined for 262 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

"If we want to get a win Friday night we're gonna have to gang tackle both of them, because I don't think one guy's gonna bring them down," Johnsen said. "If we get three or four helmets on the ball then I think we can have some success."

Last year's game in Benkelman saw the Tigers rout the Raiders 58-18. That would be Med Valley's lone regular season loss of 2016.

"We try not to think about that (loss) as a means for revenge, but it's probably on their minds some," Johnsen said about his team's motivation.

With the way both teams have looked to start 2017, Friday's game in Curtis should be one of the best in the Gazette area.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

sports1@mccookgazette.com

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