As Welsh Family looks to build off a solid performance, Lewis is eager to prove what it can do when the teams collide tonight at 7 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
The Whirlwinds are coming off a 14-0 victory over Pangborn Sunday. Welsh Fam captain Jenni Gargula attributed the win to both a stifling defense and a proficient passing game.
"We were solid on both sides of the ball," Gargula said. "On offense, both our touchdowns were through the air, and all our receivers contributed."
Gargula said she believes the attitude of the team is also an important factor.
"We are confident going into every game," she said. "Regardless of who we're playing, we think we can go out and win."
The Whirlwinds will face a Lewis team that also has great confidence in its passing attack but has not yet played a game.
"Going into the season, I would say that our passing will be our biggest asset on offense," Chicks captain Katie Sushinsky said. "We are returning our quarterback and many of our receivers from last year, and they have great chemistry."
Sushinsky said the team has been practicing very hard for this game on both sides of the ball and on special teams.
"We've had several practices this week, doing a lot of scrimmaging and finalizing our playbook," Sushinsky said. "We're definitely ready."
The prospect of facing a dangerous team in Welsh Family does not seem to be fazing Sushinsky or the Chicks.
"We're not afraid of Welsh Fam," she said. "We're going to do what we need to do to go to the Stadium."
Farley vs. Badin
Farley will try to maintain its undefeated record tonight when it takes on Badin tonight at 8 p.m.
"We have a really strong quarterback in Emily Murphy, who's been doing a great job so far," Farley captain Jenny Rolfs said. "And great receivers in myself, Kelly Weber, Molly Casanova and others."
Farley's secondary also figures to make an impact on the game after defensive back Emma Closterman had a late interception to seal the team's 26-0 win against Walsh.
Farley appears to be primed for a strong season, but intimidation doesn't look to be a factor against Badin.
"Farley's win was very impressive on Sunday," Bullfrog captain and quarterback Katie Rose Hackney said. "But we're looking to prevent big plays from their offense and senior safety Kelsey Young will play a big part in doing that."
Rose is also very confident in the Bullfrogs' wide receiver corps.
"We have great receivers in Carli Fernandez, Ryan Cooney and Courtney Raines," she said.
Despite both Fernandez and Cooney being freshman, Rose expects them to be an integral part of the passing game and continue to have an impact throughout the season. Fernandez caught a touchdown pass in Badin's 6-6 tie with Breen-Phillips in their previous game.
With their last game ending in a stalemate, Hackney was eager to finally put a game in the win column.
"After the tie on Sunday, we're looking to go out and get our first win of the season," she said.
Walsh vs. Pangborn
Both Pangborn and Walsh will be looking to rebound from shutout losses when the two meet tonight at 9.
Both teams are young and their inexperience played a key role in each team's respective losses last week.
Pangborn lost 14-0 to Welsh Family, but the coaches seemed pleased with the effort, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Middle linebacker Andrea Ragsdale led the defensive push, slowing the vaunted Welsh Family offense.
"The defense was solid and carried us last week," Phoxes coach Ryan Bell said. "Welsh Family has one of the best offenses in the league and we were able to contain them"
He also mentioned that while defensive coordinator Mike Perry was pleased with results of last week's game, he wants to see more emotion.
"Perry is looking to create a Sergio Brown, 'Crank me up' type of intensity on the defensive side of the ball," Bell said.
Despite the defensive effort, the Phoxes failed to score any points, making the offense this week's prime focus.
"We have been working on getting the offense on the same page," Bell said. "We have to be able to take advantage of the opportunities we are given."
Like their opponents, the Wild Women will be looking to put last week's loss behind them.
Walsh lost to Farley 26-0 but showed encouraging signs on the offensive side of the ball. Despite failing to score, sophomore quarterback Amy Longnecker was able to move the ball down the field and find the open receiver effectively. Longnecker and the rest of the offense will work on completing their drives and finding a way to put points up on the scoreboard.
The Wild Women also hope to see improvement in their freshman athletes, many of whom got their first game experience in the loss last weekend. With some game experience the Wild Women hope to look more aggressive and physical on the field.
