Medicine Valley gang tackles a Hemingford Bobcat during last week’s Class D1 playoff game in Curtis. The Raiders host Perkins County in a quarterfinal game tomorrow (Tuesday). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
Steve Towery/McCook Gazette
CURTIS, Neb. -- And then there were two.
Southwest Nebraska’s final two playoff teams will square off Tuesday in Curtis, when No. 9 Perkins County (8-2) heads to Nebraska’s Easter City for a Class D1 quarterfinal showdown with No. 4 Medicine Valley (10-0). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CST.
After opening the playoffs with two physical, smashmouth teams that liked to run north-south, the Raiders will see a new challenge from Perkins County. The Plainsmen have an option-based attack that has generated 337 yards per game.
“It’s gonna be a different challenge,” said Medicine Valley head coach Scott Johnsen. “They’re a lot like us; they like to use their quickness on the edge and be aggressive. They run their option really well, so it’s gonna be important for us to stay at home on defense.”
After a 6-2 regular season, Perkins County sprung two upsets in the playoffs to make it to the quarterfinals. The Plainsmen made a 267-mile trip to defeat Clearwater/Orchard 44-28 in the first round then upset top-seed West Holt last week 32-27 on a last-second Hail Mary pass.
According to Perkins County head coach Lance Steffen, the Plainsmen are a better team than their No. 9 seed would indicate. Their two regular season losses -- 33-28 to Julesburg, Colo., and 36-32 to Hemingford -- were during back-to-back weeks when the team had a number of key injuries. Steffen indicated that the Plainsmen enter Tuesday’s game healthy “for the first time this year.”
“We felt like we were better than both teams we lost to, but we had injuries that led to guys being in new positions. If you took one minute off the clock in every game this season we’d be undefeated.”
Steffen said a turning point for the team came during their Week 6 game at Dundy County-Stratton. Trailing 58-44 with less than four minutes in the game, Perkins County scored three touchdowns, including one with one second remaining, to beat the Tigers 66-58.
"That was huge. We've been on the losing end of a lot of close games like that in recent years, so for us to finally come out on top of one of those was a big moment for us. That win re-energized us."
Steffen describes Perkins County as a “physical, power football team,” that’s led by quarterback Charles Johnson.
Johnson, a 6-foot-1 senior, is the team’s leading rusher with 1,150 yards and 23 touchdowns and has also thrown for 843 yards and 10 scores.
“He makes the whole thing go,” Steffen said. “He always gets us into the right play and he’s been a great leader for us.”
Perkins County has averaged 46 points per game, but will be going up against a stout Raider defense that only allows 14 points per contest.
For Medicine Valley, Landon Lenz continues to build on a special senior season that’s seen him run for 1,595 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those numbers lead the Gazette area.
"They do a lot of what we want to do too," Steffen said of Medicine Valley. "They'll spread you out and try to make you weak at the point of attack. They've got a really talented running back in the Lenz kid and a really good linebacker with Sheldon Johnsen."
While Medicine Valley’s modus operandi is running the football, quarterback Sam Heapy found success in last week’s 60-22 win over Hemingford when he threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
“We will throw the ball when we have to, but we’re going to continue to try establishing the run,” Johnsen said.
There are no new injuries to the team, according to Johnsen. Quarterback Ryan Klintworth and linemen Austin Wolfe remain Medicine Valley’s absentee starters.
Keys to the game
It’s no secret that both teams want to establish the run. That means whoever can control the line of scrimmage will be in great shape to get a win.
“We gotta take care of our jobs up front,” Steffen said. “This is the first game in a while where we’re not going to be outsized on the lines. If we can dominate, I don’t see why we won’t come out on top.”
Despite Heapy's 202-yard performance last week, Steffen feels his team stands a better chance of winning if it can force Medicine Valley to scale back its rushing attack.
"The more we can get them to throw it, and get out of their run game, the better chance we have of winning."
Against an option offense, Johnsen said it’s imperative that Medicine Valley plays assignment football.
“We’ve gotta be fundamentally sound. We need to keep track of pitch men and play assignment football.”
Medicine Valley is one of 15 teams across Nebraska’s seven football classes that still has a perfect record. With all the Raiders have accomplished this season, it makes sense that Johnsen stressed playing “Medicine Valley football,” the rest of the way.
“We just gotta keep doing what we’ve been doing and play well. The kids are really excited.”
Tuesday's forecast is expected to reach the mid-30s with possible snow in the morning. Johnsen, however, said the weather will be a non-factor.
"It's going to affect both teams, so it won't hurt or help one of us more than the other."
What this game means
Perkins County has had highly-rated teams in recent seasons, but has been unable to advance this deep in the playoffs since 2006. A Plainsmen win Tuesday would see them advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2002, when the school, then called Grant, lost to Lawrence-Nelson.
For Medicine Valley, a win Tuesday puts the Raiders in the semifinals for just the second time in school history. Medicine Valley made the Round of 4 in 1999, when it, coincidentally, also lost to Lawrence-Nelson.
The Raiders have gone to the quarterfinals three times since 1999, with its most-recent trip in 2012, but played on the road each time.
“It’s exciting for us to finally get to host a quarterfinal game,” Johnsen said.
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