CNC rivals meet in opener at Baxter Springs

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September 3, 2010

By Ryan Atkinson The Joplin Globe The Joplin Globe Fri Sep 03, 2010, 12:34 AM CDT

Riverton and Baxter Springs don’t have to do any waiting before clashing this season.

The long-time rivals meet tonight at 7 in Baxter Springs in a season opener for a pair of teams whose experience levels couldn’t be much more dissimilar.

The Lions, with all 22 starting spots back — including 12 seniors — start their first season in Class 4A, which pushed their traditional late-season rivalry games to early September.

“It’s very important for us to start well,” head coach Brett Hartley said. “When you open with two rivalries (Riverton and Galena), you’ve got to be ready. ... It could have a bad effect on the rest of our season if we’re not ready to go.”

Just up the road in Riverton, first-year Rams coach Derrick Rider leads a team with just nine starting positions returning, and Cayse Seifert, a 261-pound senior who occupied two of those spots, is out for at least the first two weeks with a broken leg.

“We’ve told kids that every game is important ... but we feel like with so much inexperience, this could be a big building block for us for the rest of the season,” Rider said. “If we lose, it doesn’t ruin our season, but we could gain some momentum.”

The Lions had some success moving the ball last season, and with all 11 starters reclaiming their spots from a year ago, a quick start wouldn’t be out of the question.

That puts some pressure on the Rams, who won’t be dealing with a typical first-game offense trying to find its feet.

“We need to take care of the football and control the tempo,” Rider said. “And then defensively, we really just have to take care of our responsibilities and play sound football and put some pressure on them.”

Riverton will give its new offensive scheme its first test drive. After running a ground-based attack under Cory White, Rider says the Rams will put the ball in the air a bit more.

“They’re going to be a well-coached team,” Hartley said. “I’ve known Derrick for a long time and he’s an extremely hard worker. If their team and program take on his personality, they’re going to be hard workers who do the little things right.”

Riverton has gotten the best of Baxter Springs in recent years, including a 44-0 romp in last year’s regular-season finale. But the Lions say they are anxious for a chance at redemption.

“There’s the old saying ‘The hay’s in the barn,’ ” Baxter Springs senior lineman Evan Burke said. “That’s kind of how we feel. We feel like we’ve worked hard all summer and done the things we needed to prepare. Now we just have to make sure we go out there and play well on Friday night.”

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CNC rivals meet in opener at Baxter Springs

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