Prep Grid Preview ... Week 7: 'Hounds finish I-70 schedule

SWEET SPRINGS -- After back-to-back victories, the Sweet Springs football team closes out its I-70 Conference campaign Friday against one of the league powers.

The Greyhounds rolled past Santa Fe and Crest Ridge by a combined 82-6 margin after making some adjustments to an offense that was coming off its second shutout of the season. However, they'll face a whole new challenge when they head to 10th-ranked Wellington-Napoleon.

The Tigers (5-1, 2-1 I-70) brought back most of the starters who propelled them to the Class 1 quarterfinals in 2008, and whipped Sweet Springs in their meeting, 35-6. That group includes senior running back Cody Banner, who ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns against the 'Hounds a year ago.

Sweet Springs (3-3, 3-3) is going to at least be able to match up somewhat better with a Wellington line which isn't as beefy as in previous years -- but remains nearly as effective, as the club's 33.7 points-per-game attests.

The Tigers are indeed as strong as usual, evidenced by their respectable 24-12 loss to top-ranked Orrick -- the two-time defending state champion -- earlier in the season.

Santa Fe at Crest Ridge

ALMA -- Santa Fe is hoping to build from its strongest performance of the season, even though it will be on the road Friday.

The Chiefs ran for 354 yards last week during a 28-26 victory at Windsor, senior fullback Josh Livingston and junior quarterback Ross Tieman each topping the century mark. The opportunity to match that performance is certainly present against winless Crest Ridge.

Second-year head coach Chris Cavanah is in the process of trying to rebuilt a once-proud program, but every gain the Cougars (0-6, 0-6 I-70) make seems to be accompanied by a setback.

So what will the Chiefs' face, the Crest Ridge squad which put up a fight during a 14-6 loss to St. Paul two weeks ago or the one pounded by Sweet Springs, 40-0, last week? Or, for that matter, the Cougars who gave Santa Fe fits in their 2008 meeting before dropping a 13-6 decision?

By the same token, the Chiefs (2-4, 1-2) can ask many of the same questions about themselves.

Slater at Braymer

SLATER -- After its 42-7 Lewis and Clark Conference loss last week at No. 7 Marceline, playing almost anybody else will probably be a relief to Slater.

Recent history suggests, however, that Braymer will be no less difficult for the Wildcats when they return to the road Friday for their final non-conference, non-district contest of the regular season.

The Bobcats have beaten Slater in six of the last seven years, the exception against the Purple's only winning team of that span in 2005. Fortunately, some of the Braymer players who gave the 'Cats the most trouble a 41-0 home loss in 2008 -- including running back Steve Calton, who rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns -- are gone.

Still, there's the matter of the line the Bobcats (3-3) can put up front against the smallish Slater squad -- especially 6-foot-4, 240-pound all-state senior James Schreier at offensive guard and defensive tackle.

For the Wildcats (2-4) a win would be nice, but the more important objective is to develop further so that when the stretch run comes they can be poised to capture the school's first-ever playoff bid.