Week 11 - LaBrae Vikings at Orrville Red Riders

Who: Leavittsburg LaBrae Vikings (6-4, #7 seed) at Orrville Red Riders (7-3, #2 seed)

What: OHSAA Division 4, Region 13 Quarterfinal

Where: Red Rider Stadium, Orrville

When: Saturday November 5, 2011, 7pm

Series: First Meeting

Last Week: Orrville beat Wooster 35-7, LaBrae beat Steubenville Central Catholic 27-13

Coaches: Doug Davault for Orrville (49-21, 6th season, 7-3 in 3 playoff appearances) - Bill Bohren for LaBrae (287-153-6, 46th season, 8th year at LaBrae, 0-1 in 1 playoff appearance at LaBrae)

Radio/TV: Game will be broadcast on Wooster's AM 960 and also streamed at www.wqkt.com

Playoff Appearances: Orrville - 22nd appearance (28-20 Record), Labrae - 3rd Appearance (1-2 Record)

Conference Affiliation: Orrville is a member of the Ohio Cardinal Conference while LaBrae is a member of the All-American Conference, Blue Division

Points per Game/Allowed: Orrville - 25.2 scored, 15.2 allowed....LaBrae - 24.18 scored, 18.1 allowed


Like I mentioned the other today...I don't know anything about this team, so I won't even try to play the role of expert....but I did find this video from the MyValleySports.com website.  The video is below (email subscribers click here to see the video)

Obviously, this video was shot in August, so a lot has changed since then probably, just like it has with us...but you get the gist..

LaBrae will try to run the ball with senior Matt Szorady (Zor-ah-dee) who has ran for nearly 2000 yards over the last 2 seasons.  Here's a link to his highlight video on YouTube.  Looks like a hard-working kid, but nothing the Rider defense hasn't seen several times this season.

The Vikings QB is 6'6" Peyton Aldridge, who has throw 12 TD passes on the year.

LaBrae head coach is a legend, closing in on 300 career wins.  Orrville's greatest coach (Mo) had barely 200 wins in his 30 year coaching career.  Coach Bohren has probably forgotten more about football than any of us will ever know.

Seems like the Vikings preference is to run the ball, and that plays right into the Red Riders hand as they've stuffed the run all year against some good running teams.

Plain and simple, this game SHOULD be about how well the Riders can execute on offense.  If they can score points like they did against Wooster and Lexington, then this game should be an easy win for the Riders.  If it's the turnover and penalty prone offense we've also seen at times this year, then LaBrae will hang around and anything can happen.

The Orrville defense has been staunch all season, and seemingly better in the final month of the season, allowing less than 13 points per game in the last 4 outings.

In terms of strength of schedule, the indispensable  Fantastic50.net website rates Orrville as having the #5 toughest schedule in all of Division 4, while LaBrae brings the 47th toughest schedule to Orrville.

Orrville has only lost 1 home playoff game, in 2005 to Akron St. V., and I think they make it 5 of 6 at home in the playoffs this week.  Too many weapons and too tough a defense for the Vikings to overcome.  I don't think it's a rout, but the Riders advance and that's all the playoffs are about...surviving and advancing.

A win would be Coach Davault's 50th as a head coach, in only 6 seasons, meaning he's averaging over 8 wins per season.  That's an average that most any coach in Ohio would take.

Predictions:
I say Orrville 28-7
CalPreps.com says Orrville 28-10
Fantastic50.net says Orrville by 15

Hate to think this is the last time we'll see great players like Mason Monheim, Stewart Turner and Drew Brenner suit up at Red Rider Stadium...but that's the case.  Hoping for one more night of memories from the senior class, and hopefully the start of another classic Orrville playoff run.