Falcons set to take on the Cavaliers in second round

Last Week:

Abingdon def. Hidden Valley, 20-0

Lord Botetourt def. Christiansburg, 62-6

Last Meeting:

Lord Botetourt def. Abingdon, 39-28.  November 2015 2nd Round Playoffs

The rematch between the Falcons and Cavaliers has been three years in the making since these two programs met in the playoffs.  The Cavaliers won that contest 39-28 on a brisk night in Daleville.  Abingdon has been itching for the chance to redeem themselves against teams all season.  To this point, they have been successful with wins over Ridgeview, Union and Hidden Valley.

Abingdon rolled in the recent weeks of the regular season and it has carried over to the playoffs.  The Falcons have not lost a game since September 21st.  This is in part to the tenacious defense the Falcons have playing.  The past two games Abingdon has only allowed teams less than 30 yards of total offense each.  While Martin Lucas, William Seymore and Sean Canada have been grinding out yardage on the ground, Gabe Boothe has executing Coach Amburgey’s offensive scheme with confidence and stability.  Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nutter has the Falcon defense flying around and making plays all over the field.  Six players on defense have over 54 tackles on the year.  The Falcons will be tested this week on the defensive front by a stout Cavalier running game.

This game will be a rematch from 2015.  The game appears the same but the faces are different.  No longer is there a Sturgill, Yates, Fulton or Wallace. Abingdon has a new group of seniors leading the charge into this playoff run.  Gabe Boothe, Jake Crosswhite, TJ Taylor, William Seymore, Tyler Thayer, Sean Canada have become a driving force to much of the Falcons success this year.  Likewise, the Cavaliers look different as well.  However, this time they will face the Falcons who are peaking at the right time of the year going to face the Cavaliers.  This will be a tall task for the Falcons to see if they can knock off a team they have history with again in the second round of the playoffs. The question is who can win at the line of scrimmage this Friday, they could be the team leaving victorious.

 

 

 

 

Players to Watch

 

Lord Botetourt QB #4 Evan Eller

The Cavaliers QB has become a dangerous threat in Jamie Harless’ game plan.  Eller will look to keep the momentum going in the Lord Botetourt offensive attack this week.  He has speed and exceptional vision.  Eller and his offense will certainly look to carry over that momentum after a big win last week in round one win 62-6.  Look for Wilson to leave it all on the field Friday.

 

Abingdon LB #11 Jake Crosswhite

Jake Crosswhite has been a force in the middle of Abingdon’s defense this year from his middle linebacker position.  Crosswhite seems to always be in opponents backfield for the past month and wreaking havoc on opposing offenses ground games.  He comes into this game with 58 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery and 1 defensive TD.  This is certainly attributed to the pressure that has been applied by the front seven.  Defensive coordinator Ryan Nutter has been mixing up pressure and coverages with the linebacking corps all season getting pressure on offenses.

 

Keys to the Game:

 

Lord Botetourt:

Avoid the big plays- Abingdon has shown it has big play ability and the Cavs could find themselves in a hole

Limit the turnovers- Turning the ball over to the Falcons could spell trouble

Don’t get caught looking ahead- The Cavs will need to stay focused.  If they allow the Falcons opportunities.  The Falcons will take advantage of them.

 

 

Abingdon:

All three phases of the game- Abingdon will need to play solid in all three phases of the game.  Offense, defense and special teams.

Win at the line of scrimmage- If Abingdon can control the line of scrimmage; they will be able to dictate the flow of the game.  Likewise, the defense will need to step it up this week and find another gear to shut down the Cavs potent running game.

Turnover battle- Abingdon must win the turnover battle to get their offense rolling and give them extra opportunities to score.  If the defense can create turnovers, Boothe and Co. should be able to put up some big plays.

Categories:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All content is the property of the owners and writers of CoalfieldSports.com unless otherwise specified. For advertising inquires please contact ehilton@coalfieldsports.com