St. Albert renews rivalry with Logan Magnolia

Posted: 09/14/2006 - by

For Class 1A teams, things will get turned up a notch this week with the beginning of district play.

In District 8 things start off with a bang as St. Albert travels to Logan-Magnolia in a blossoming rivalry game between the district's two playoff teams from last season.

The 7:30 p.m. kickoff will be the third time the teams have met in two seasons, and it's the third straight game the duo have played in Logan.

"We kind of know our way," joked St. Albert coach Jim Duggan.

The teams split last year's games with Lo-Ma winning the regular season contest 45-25, while the Falcons turned the table with a 27-20 overtime victory in the state quarterfinals.

"It's a big game," said Lo-Ma coach Matt Straight, "but we're so far from the playoffs you don't even think about that."

As for Week 3 games go, Friday's district opener will have a lot of that playoff atmosphere.

"Obviously there is a lot more on the line now," Duggan said. "It's basically a playoff-type game."

Both teams enter the game following a win, with the Panthers posting an unblemished 2-0 mark and outscoring its foes (Missouri Valley and Tri-Center) 62-7.

Martin Gross has stepped in at quarterback for the Panthers.

"He's been playing extremely well," said Straight.

Six-foot-1, 180-pound guard Daniel Michaels, a senior captain, anchors the offensive line for the Panthers.

"He's very aggressive and always goes hard," Straight said.

The defense has been the big strength through two weeks, as the Panthers have forced eight turnovers and committed none.

"It's been outstanding so far," Straight said of his defense. "We've forced eight turnovers in those games, that's been big for us."

"They're big and they're physical," Duggan said of the Panthers. "They're just solid."

The Falcons won last week's game at Class 3A Glenwood 30-17, after giving Class 3A Lewis Central a battle (22-15) in the season opener.

"We just needed a little boost of confidence," Duggan said of the win. "We played good enough to win, we didn't play great, but we played good enough to win and we won.

"We still know we have a lot of things to work on."

The Falcons got 178 yards on 26 carries from Jeremy Schieffer, including a 44-yard touchdown score in the first half of last week's win. Quarterback Nolan Batten connected on six passes for 74 yards, including a touchdown pass. C.J. Gradoville added three field goals, including a 41-yarder, to help put the game out of reach.

"They're the same every year," Straight said of the Falcons. "They're sound on everything ... offense, defense, special teams. To beat them you have to be physical."

Quick Hits

Who: St. Albert (1-1) vs. Logan-Magnolia (2-0) in a Class 1A District 8 football opener.

Where: Logan.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

On the Web: www.stalbertsportsfan.com.

What to watch for: Games start getting more important as the district schedule begins this week.

Logan-Magnolia and St. Albert split a pair of games last year in Logan, with the Panthers winning the regular season contest (45-25) and St. Albert avenging the loss (27-20 in overtime) in the second meeting.

After falling to L.C. in Week 1 the Falcons showed some grit with a road win against Class 3A Glenwood last week. Jeremy Schieffer rushed for 178-yards, including a 44-yard touchdown run, while Nolan Batten connected on six passes for 74 yards.

Lo-Ma has rolled through its first two games, outscoring Class 2A foes Missouri Valley and Tri-Center a combined 62-7.

Martin Gross has stepped into the quarterback spot and done a good job with the ball-control offense. Running back Marshall Barney has led the rushing attack the first two weeks.

The Panthers are Plus-Eight in the turnover ratio.

~Jeff Deluca~ Staff Writer Daily Nonpareil 09.14.06

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