By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
Galena’s pass defense faces a strong test tonight from Rossville in a KSHSAA Class 3A quarterfinal football game.
Kickoff for the battle of Bulldogs is at 6 in Galena.
Tradition-rich Rossville (9-2) has won seven straight games since back-to-back losses to 3A quarterfinalist Silver Lake (35-3) and to 2-1A quarterfinalist St. Marys (14-0). Rossville rolled to a district crown and has won 25 straight district games dating back to 2002.
“From the beginning we thought if things fell together for us, we’d be where we’re at right now,” Rossville head coach Steve Buhler said. “We needed our inexperienced players from last year in our junior and sophomore classes to mature, and thankfully that played out for us.”
Galena (11-0) has reached the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2005 when it won its first 10 games before losing at home to Rossville 32-7.
“Watching Galena on tape, what stands out the most to me is how hard they play,” Buhler said. “They have some very good skilled kids, which matches up good with us. With the intensity they have, it’s impressive to see how hard they play and how fast they run to the ball.
“They have a strong running game. (Troy) Albright is probably one of the best backs we’ll see all year. I compare him with a couple others in our league (Mid-East League), which is pretty good.
“We’ve played them in basketball, so a lot of our basketball players are familiar with them. We know what good athletes they are and how good they play. That helps with our preparation.”
Rossville’s offense is almost 50-50 between the run (281 rushes) and the pass (240 attempts). While averaging almost five yards per rush, Rossville has produced bigger numbers in its passing game — 16.5 yards per completion on 66 percent accuracy.
The primary passing combination involves the head coach’s sons. Junior Mitch Buhler, the team’s leading rusher with 522 yards, has hit 157-of-236 passes for 2,510 yards, 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Older brother Matt Buhler has 75 catches for 1,318 yards, and Tanner Cady has 50 receptions for 922 yards.
“What impresses me the most about them is they throw the ball extremely well,” Galena head coach Beau Sarwinski said. “They run it when they have to, but I think they like to throw the football. The quarterback runs the ball pretty well. They have some linemen who play hard. They have a nice team.
“Defensively we have to tackle well, and we have to contain their receivers and not let them get behind us.”
Galena’s offense also possesses big-play potential, averaging 6.1 yards on the ground and 19.3 yards per pass completion.
Albright and Cody Clark provide a 1-2 punch on the ground with 950 and 726 yards, respectively. Albright has scored 13 touchdowns, Clark 10.
Quarterback Jacoby Martin has run for nine TDs on only 41 carries and hit 78-of-116 passes (67 percent) for 1,518 yards, 17 TDs and five picks. Wide receiver Colton Leet has 32 catches for 671 yards and six touchdowns, and Albright and Clark are around 20 yards per catch — Albright 18 catches for 350 yards and Clark 14 for 313.
“The kids are excited about playing, focused on the task at hand,” Sarwinski said. “Galena has never made it past the third round.
“It’s been a good week of practice and preparation. It’s more mental now and more focused on what we have to do to get better. We’re not doing as much physical contact in practice. You don’t want to get anybody hurt this late in the year. ... Physically you know who’s going to be able to play.”
