The 3-1 Burr Oak Bobcats host Southern Michigan 8-Man Football League powerhouse Portland St. Patrick tonight for homecoming. Burr Oak is coming off a 49-0 home loss to Battle Creek St. Philip and St. Patrick is 4-0 after a 48-6 win over Tekonsha.
Photo by Wes Morgan
Injury report
Senior Cole Summey is still banged up with a sore and swollen knee from a couple weeks ago and did not practice most of the week, Bobcats coach Ryan Stephens said, but he was cleared to go against St. Patrick.
Scouting Portland St. Patrick
Like St. Philip, St. Patrick is a small and athletic bunch that runs a double-wing offense.
“If we can contain the outside and fill the gaps on the defensive line, we should prevail,” Stephens said. “Offensively, the key again is to maintain our blocks long enough to give our athletes time to make plays. With our size and strength, we should be able to out-power St. Patrick on the offensive side of the ball. The key is tempo and execution.”
Practice report
Stephens told JoeInsider.com the Bobcats have been more disciplined on both sides of the ball this week, emphasizing individual responsibilities on defense.
“We have also been working on angle tackling and our pass coverage in the secondary which we also had difficulties with against St. Phil,” he explained. “Offensively, the goal for the week was to work on blocking all around by drive blocking and maintaining our blocks giving our backs enough time to make plays.”
Unsung Bobcats
Stephens said junior Hunter Dobberteen is a player that “has not received a lot of attention this year, but is a key player on special teams, offense, and defense.”
“With Hunter’s speed, height, and hands, he is a key player to big plays,” Stephens added. “Playing wideout on offense, he is a dangerous weapon with his height on quick hit passes, already having a handful of touchdowns. Defensively, Hunter is a big part of our outside contain, playing outside linebacker. On special teams, Hunter is a long snapper on PAT/field goal and punt. The key to Hunter having a great game compared to a good game is consistency.”
Arturo Hernandez-Gonzalez is another player that has made a big impact for Burr Oak this year. He made 10 tackles out of the secondary last week.
“With Summey out, Arturo will most likely start on both sides of the ball Friday night against St. Patrick,” Stephens said.