Chargers, Greyhounds host Week 3 DH, Eagles trek to TCU

Week 3 Area Prep Football Preview

NEW ULM -- Week 3 of the local high school football season sees both the Min- nesota Valley Lutheran Chargers and the Greyhounds of New Ulm Cathedral at home Friday for some doubleheader football at Johnson Field.

At 4 p.m., the Chargers host Le- Sueur-Henderson in a non-district game before the Greyhounds entertain Red Rock Central at 8 p.m. in a Nine-Man Southwest District clash.

The New Ulm Eagles will go to Tri-City United to face the Titans in a 7 p.m. kickoff.

LeSueur-Henderson (0-2) at Minnesota Valley Lutheran (2-0) 4 p.m., Johnson Field

Don't let the 0-2 record of the Giants fool you. Their two losses have come by 9 points and 1 point.

"They were leading in both of those games and lost them at the very end," Chargers head coach Jim Buboltz said. "Don't let that 0-2 record fool you. They are a very good football team and hungry to get things turned around.

"They can put up points (26 and 33 in their first two games). They can hurt you in a lot of different ways. They have really have a dangerous offense -- they want to keep the ball on the ground more -- but they wil play-action over the top, too.

They have real talent in their running back. They will give you a power look along with three wide receivers. They are a very good football team."

While the Giants come in with an of- fense that can score points, the Chargers enter this game with a stingy defense that has allowed just 6 points in two games and an offense that has produced 57 points in two wins.

"Our defense is ahead of schedule from where we originally thought [we would be] coming into the year," Buboltz said. "We had a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but especially on the defensive side. Happy with both sides of the ball, but there is a lot to work on on both sides of the ball and our kids are willing to do that."

Offensively, Buboltz thinks that the Chargers can also get better.

"We have left some points out there last game but we can definitely get better," he said. "We found some things that we re- ally like and guys who can make some big plays for us. But it was also good that we kept the ball on the ground and established a running game."

And this may be the week when his and other teams see its biggest improvement.

"Along with the scrimmage, this is the third time to get out and see another team," he said. "So this is the week when you see the biggest changes in teams."

Buboltz said that the key to the Char- gers going 3-0 is the defense.

"When it comes to keeping us in games it is going to be on that group quite a bit of the time. And so far so good."

Red Rock Central (1-1) at New Ulm Cathedral (2-0) Friday 8 p.m., Johnson Field

The New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds look to jump to 3-0 on the year when they host Red Rock Central in the late game Friday at Johnson Field.

Greyhounds coach Denny Lux said that the Falcons are a team that has a tra- dition of being very good.

"They have been at the top of the di- vision now for five years straight," Lux

said. "We know that they are a very good football team. They are a running team first-- they will be physical -- and their kids are always tough over at Sanborn and Lamberton. They have good size and they know how to use it. They will get in the power-I formation, straight-I or inverted wishbone and try and run at you. They want to establish that ground game."

Lux said that that means that his de- fense needs to come out and be intense in their defensive pursuit.

"We have done a really good job so far in pursuing from sideline to sideline," he said. "[Red Rock Central] has some run- ning backs that are quick so we need to fill those cutback lanes. We need to establish that we are going to play hard and fast.

"And it always comes down to the turnover game -- the penalties -- so we need to play a real solid game."

Like the Falcons, the Greyhounds are a ground-and-pound team also.

"We have a good fullback in Jaden Hel- get and our halfback Josh Bentler has played well in our first two games. Our wingback, Rylan Koopmann, when he does get his car- ries, seems to make them for big yards.

"But it is the guys up front -- Ben Bomberg at center, guards Joey Schugel and Joey Brehmer that get it going for us. Our offensive linemen need to hit and keep their feet moving -- keep engaged with the defensive player."

And Lux knows that his team needs to keep taking positive steps forward each week.

"We are new to nine-man, [improve- ment] is a game-to-game thing. We are going to see improvement from game to game. I think that our fans will see that as well as our opponents. Every game we are out there, we are learning more of the awareness on the field, how quick some of the things are defensively and what we need to do on offense."

New Ulm High School (2-0) at Tri-City United (1-1) Friday, 7 p.m., Montgomery

"They are historically a very competitive program," New Ulm head coach Derek Lieser said of Montgomery. "I went to college with their head coach Matt Holland and he does a real nice job with his program. And we have struggled with them in the last two years. This year they are running a little bit different of an offense -- they use a lot of motion and try to get the ball in their athletes hands. On defense, they will show a number of different looks. So we have some things to prepare for. And we like the opportunity and feel it will be a very competitive game."

Last year the Eagles fell 29-13 in their first game of the season.

"Their offense is more of a rock- et-sweep type offense," Lieser said. "They are trying to get the ball to their playmakers in space. And when teams over-pursue and over-adjust to the motion they will do some counters, traps and go runs. Their run game is probably the biggest thing that we have to stop. If we can make them one-dimensional with the pass game, I don't think that is what they want to do."

TCU does have some size also.

"They are not the biggest team, but they do have some size inside," Lieser said. "We feel we are a comparable team in a lot of different facets."

Lieser is happy with the growth his team has made.

"We like our growth from Week 1 to Week 2 defensively, and if our defense continues to take a step forward and if we continue to give our offense opportunities, we feel good about where they are. We are happy about our growth and take positive steps on both sides of the ball."

The Eagles are battling through some injuries for this game to running backs Ty Frederick and Ian Brudelie.

"As of [Tuesday], it is just working through those kinks. We do not have any- thing definitive -- right now we are working with the medical staff. We are taking it day by day if guys go down. We are hopeful we will be at 100 percent and if we are not, it is an opportunity for younger guys to step up."