It’s a Division 5 top-five showdown between two teams vying to take control of the conference at the season’s midway point between Bonduel and Amherst. Bonduel jumped from seven to fifth in the latest coaches poll after a huge road win last week against then-ranked number three Iola-Scandinavia.
“It was nice to see the way the kids came out and played,” said Bonduel head coach James Westrich. “They are playing with a little more confidence, which was nice to see, a little bit more physicality up front.”
The Bears offense has steamrolled through opponents in their first four games, not scoring fewer than 42 points thus far.
Bonduel is averaging 49 points a game, thanks in large part to the conference’s top rushing attack that averages 380 yards per game. Eli Masty, Jacob Banker and Jordan Boldt all are among the top-10 in the conference in rushing yards while quarterback Parker Bohm ranks second in passing yards with 410 and he’s yet to throw an interception.
As Bonduel’s success continues, their confidence continues to grow and Westrich says his team won’t be intimidated.
“We’re excited for the opportunity,” said Westrich. “Amherst is a great football program. They have been for a long time. Our kids are excited for the challenge and opportunity and we’ll see what happens.”
Defense has been the story for second-ranked Amherst this season, only giving 20 points in four games while posting back-to-back shutouts. The Bonduel run game against the run defense of Amherst will be a challenge.
“We’ve just got to take care of what we can control,” Westrich said of the team’s gameplan. “We have to sustain blocks. The gaps, they’re not going to be as big as what we’re use to seeing, so we have to take what they can give us, run hard, take care of the football and not beat ourselves.”
It’ll be an exciting night of football in Bonduel. Be sure to follow TCHDailyNews on Twitter for live game updates.