Silver Tiger at stake in rivalry game

With both teams out of the playoff hunt, Smith-Cotton and Warrensburg still have a lot to play for entering Friday night’s West Central Conference matchup in Knob Noster.

Both teams are coming off back-to-back losses to Grain Valley and Harrisonville and are looking to bounce back and end the season with the coveted Silver Tiger Trophy in its grasp.

Warrensburg, at 4-5, is also aiming to escape its third-straight losing season, while Smith-Cotton, ranked outside the top 10 for the first time since week one, is bidding for its second-straight West Central Conference outright title.

“Forget records,” Smith-Cotton coach Mark Johnson said. “This is a contest between two good teams battling it out for the trophy and bragging rights. Our kids understand this is a rivalry game and we have a lot to play for. It’s going to be a good contest and we’re looking for them to bring their best game.”

It’s been a one-sided rivalry over the past two years as Smith-Cotton captured the trophy in 2008 with a 42-22 victory, followed by a 55-0 win last year to retain the hardware.
Smith-Cotton’s offense will look to produce similar results against a team that has yet to hold opponents out of the end zone.

Warrensburg has given up more than 24 points a contest, allowing 40-plus points four times. The Tigers held both Oak Grove and St. Pius X to a field goal and have forced 22 turnovers and garnered 10.5 sacks, but like Smith-Cotton, their defense was exposed against Grain Valley, Harrisonville, O’Hara and Hickman Mills.

Warrensburg’s defense will face another prolific offense against a Smith-Cotton team averaging 367 yards and 39 points a contest.

The bulk of the damage has come behind a ground game that averaged 312 yards a contest and has found the end zone 43 times (nearly five touchdowns a game).

Andrew Byrd has been the workhorse of the backfield, averaging 9.7 yards a carry and more than 181 yards a contest to go along with his 27 touchdowns.

Under center, Dominique Smith and Kendal Brown have put up decent numbers in a run-heavy, multi-option attack. Through the air, Smith and Brown have combined for 588 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions for a 60 percent completion rate and 64 yards a contest.

“This is a game where we need to go out and put it on them,” Brown said. “If you don’t get up for Warrensburg, you shouldn’t be on the field.”

Warrensburg will counter Smith-Cotton’s offensive attack with Layton Moore and Ryan Hurr. Under center, Moore has passed for 76 yards a game to go along with five touchdowns and nine interceptions. Hurr leads a backfield that averages 190 yards a contest. The powerful back has rushed for 834 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season with a 9.17 yards-per-carry average.

Smith-Cotton will answer with a defensive effort that hopes to draw from its success early in the season.
Smith-Cotton’s defense allowed 74 points in the opening seven contests, highlighted by three shutouts, but gave up a combined 90 points to Harrisonville and Grain Valley over the past two weeks.

“We can’t play like we did against Grain Valley,” Johnson said. “Giving up 56 points won’t win you ball games. We just need to make stops and avoid the lapses that do you in. We need to play like we’re capable of performing and return to good, smart football on the defensive end.”

UP NEXT
Matchup: Warrensburg vs. Smith-Cotton
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday at Knob Noster
Radio: KDRO (1490 AM) and KSDL (92.3 FM)