The Blackcats of Herculaneum are coming off of a frustrating Week 8 loss where they fell 22-20 against the Perryville Pirates. They did however show some resolve, as they held the Pirates scoreless after the first quarter and put up 20 unanswered points. Now they need to carry that momentum into the final game of the regular season as they take on a 7-1 Crystal City club.
Herky appears to be pretty locked into the number three seed in the Class 3 District Playoffs behind leader 8-0 Cardinal Ritter, but this is still a big rivalry game for the Blackcats. Still, they are going to want to pull out all the stops against the top seed in Class 1 District 2.
Head Coach Blane Boss commented on the matchup with,”This game is a huge rivalry game and we still have a lot to prove before District play starts. Crystal City will be fresh coming off a two week layoff, so we have to be prepared from the first whistle. This will be their biggest game of the season and we are going to get their best, so we have to be ready and take care of the little things. It should be a great atmosphere for some Friday night football.”
Sitting at 5-3 on the season, Herky is largely a product of their offense. They’ve put up over 40 points three times this year, but if their big guns aren’t firing on all cylinders they tend to struggle. The big three of QB Jackson Dearing, WR/RB Lucas Bahr and RB Mike Moloney will have to step up in a big way.
Dearing is having an excellent season with nearly 1,600 yards passing and 17 TDs, but he will need to be accurate with his passes as he has thrown 10 picks this year. Bahr has been lights out, catching 45 passes for 941 yards and 12 TDs while rushing 43 times for an additional 356 yards and three more scores. As for Moloney, he has 415 yards on the ground, eight total touchdowns and is the anchor of the defense. He leads the team with 77 total tackles and has a sack, two fumble recoveries and an INT to boot.
Crystal City will come into town on Friday and try to unseat the Blackcats, and to do that they’re going to need to rely on their running game. Quarterback Cyle Schaumburg doesn’t throw the ball often, but is adept with his legs, rushing for nearly 500 yards and five TDs this season. But the biggest threat will be the RB duo of Kanden Bolton and Caden Raftery. The two have combined for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns (with Bolton leading the team with 10).
The Hornets own an impressive 7-1 record on the season, but they are a class lower than Herky and have not faced nearly the level of competition as the Blackcats. Still, they could be a handful if they are on their game. They have put up over 40 points three times this season and also pitched three shutouts, including their last game, which was a 13-0 win over Missouri Military Academy.
Herculaneum will have to be on their toes in this critical Week 9 game, but home field advantage should help nudge them in the right direction. Kickoff is Friday, October 21st at 7pm.
Good luck Blackcats!
