Hounds looking to break 3-game slide on Homecoming

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - Last year a winning season for the Bloodhound football team may have hinged on a homecoming game against a 1-5 Fairfield team on Oct. 7.

But prior to game time, the Hounds learned that they would be without their top running back in Alex Gully, who was suspended for the game after running into some legal troubles. And then a special teams injury to No. 2 running back Diego Lozano forced him from the game and turned what should have been an even game, into a lopsided 33-6 loss by the Hounds.

Head Coach Tony Shiffman is hoping Fort Madison can shake it's 2-3 record, put another "W" the win column, and set a pace for the clubs' first winning season since 2010. But to do that the Hounds will have to find a way to cage the Trojans' 6'2" 240lb senior Tristan Waugh, who can dominate play on both sides of the ball.

Fairfield features a tandem at running back with Waugh, who has 498 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 carries. Waugh also is averaging 39 yards per reception, but has done the damage on just five catches out of the backfield for 195 yards. The other back, junior Leone Gichure has 414 yards on 67 attempts and a couple of TDs.

Waugh also leads the team in tackles from his defensive line position with 30 on the year including seven for losses and four sacks.

"He was their best player last year and he's their best player again this year. He's a good physical athlete," Shiffman said. "I think he's all-district in most sports he plays. He's a big, physical runner, and a good defensive lineman"

Waugh had 328 yards in ruining the Bloodhounds' homecoming last year, included four touchdowns on a whopping 52 carries.

"You gotta know where he's at at all times. We definitely underestimated him last year and he made us pay. We're hopefully better prepared for him this year. We'll be ready," Shiffman said.

FMHS junior Diego Lozano will surely be spying Waugh out of the backfield. Lozano has 37.5 tackles on the season including 11 for loss and three sacks. Junior Romeo Maestro leads the team with four sacks and junior Quentin Schneider is second on the team in tackles with 25.

Shiffman said the Trojans don't do a lot five step drops on offense. Senior signal caller Carson Crile has completed just 29 passes on the season for 463 yards and three scores.

"There gonna try to run it and run it and throw play-action. They don't do a lot of straight up drop-back passing, but they're tough. That's what they want to do is run it."

Junior Landon Kooiker leads the Trojans in receiving with 240 yards and a touchdown, but Crile has hooked up with eight different receivers on the year, so the Trojans can spread it around a bit.

But the Hounds know a little about spreading the ball around, too. Senior quarterback Lennon Barker, who sat the second half of last week's 49-6 loss to No. 3 ranked Solon, has close to 1,000 yards through the air this year and has hooked up with eight different receivers for a couple of scores. Seniors Dom Frantz and Sheymouhr Redd-Donald each have more than 200 yards in the air. But juniors Michael Mosena and Parker Denning, and senior Trey Kuntz each have more than 100 yards.

The Hounds have struggled a little with a run this year. Only 25% of the FMHS offense has come via the rush, but Shiffman said that's a byproduct of different athletes in the skill positions and depth on the line.

"We knew we'd be like that this year. We knew this would be a pass-to-set-up-the-run year, whereas last year we ran to set up the pass. That's just the way were built," he said. "It's not that we've changed our offense as a whole per se, but we've got an overabundance of receivers and we don't have a lot of depth on the offensive line. So we need to get it out to our athletes in open space."

The Hounds have run the ball 112 times including quarterback sacks and have passed the ball 170 times, which represents a 40/60 split in run to pass plays.

Most of the Hounds on offense switch over and play defense and Shiffman said that dynamic, although not uncommon, causes problems in 3A schools with limited players.

"The middle stretch of the schedule you saw more one-way guys on the other teams. But it's more that they have more depth. So if say a Clear Creek quarterback plays corner too, if he needs a breather he can get one. We're still trying to get our numbers up and it's one of those things that your trying to get a culture shift and get people to buy into the program."

But he said he's happy with the numbers the program has halfway through his second year.

"I'm happy where we're at with numbers. It could be better, but it could be worse, too," he said.

Shiffman has said since the first day of practice last year, that the program has to overcome the mental fatigue of seven straight losing seasons. He said once they come out of that funk, gets some wins and have some success, the program will grow.

"I've talked with many coaches who say the second year is harder than the first," he said. "It is a mental thing. They've gotta get over the three-game murderers row we just had. We still have every opportunity to finish on a high note and a winning record."

The Hounds and Trojans square off at Richmond Stadium starting at 7 p.m.

Players to watch

Fairfield

#10 Carson Crile 6'4" 200lb senior QB/OLB

#44 Tristan Waugh 6'2" 240lb senior RB/DL

#6 Leone Gichure 5'7" 170lb junior RB/S

#33 Landon Kooiker 6'2" 160lb junior WR

#23 Caden Jones 6'0" 160lb junior RB/ST

HOUNDS

#7 Diego Lozano 6'2" 250lb junior LB/RB

#1 Michael Mosena 5'7" 160lb junior WR

#12 Lennon Barker 5'10" 180lb senior QB

#57 Danen Settles 5'10" 245lb senior OL/DL

#13 Dom Frantz 6'1" 185lb senior WR

#2 Sheymouhr Redd-Donald 6'2" 175lb WR/SS

 

 

 

Fairfield, football, fort madison, Hounds, Pen City Current, preview. sports, varsity

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