The #4 (1A) South Hardin football team will battle in their second straight state quarterfinal they host #5 (1A) Treynor on Friday. The game will air on 104.9 KLMJ. This will be the first ever meeting between the teams.
South Hardin (9-1) advanced with wins over Camanche and #10 (1A) Ridge View. A trio sets the tone for a balanced Tigers offense. Peyton Welch has passed for 2,015 yards (third most in 1A) and 23 passing touchdowns (fourth most in 1A). Kameron Adams has rushed 1,162 yards (fifth most in 1A). Sam Benson is the Tigers top receiving target with 911 receiving yards (third most in 1A) and 12 touchdowns (tied for second in 1A). The Tigers defense has been locked in allowing seven points or less in seven of 10 games this season, a mark that includes four shutouts. Head Coach Nick Eller.
“We gotta shut down the big plays because that’s how they move the ball the best. We gotta get pressure to their quarterback. When he has time to sit back there, he throws a pretty good ball. It’ll be tough defending him if he’s got a lot of time. They are dangerous in the special teams game, they got some good returners with speed. We definitely don’t want to give them the ball in open space, where they got a lot of room to run. We gotta be smart with how we kick to them, how we cover,” says Eller. “We gotta play all three phases. I think each team’s gonna be very similar. It’s gonna kinda come down to who makes a big mistake, who makes a big play at a key time.”
Treynor (9-1) advanced with wins over Ogden and Hinton. A duo paces a balanced Cardinals offense, Ethan Hill has 22 passing touchdowns (fifth most in 1A) and Jett Sornson has 1,700 all-purpose yards (second most in 1A) and 15 touchdowns. The Cardinals defense has shut down their opponents’ passing games with 21 interceptions (leads Class 1A).
The Tigers, with a win, would advance to the state semifinals for the first time in school history.
“Meet the Team” player and coach interviews will begin at 5:30 p.m. as part of pregame coverage, followed by the kickoff at 7:00 p.m. in Eldora.
Full Interview with Head Coach Nick Eller:
