Welsh Family vs. Breen Phillips
Welsh Family (2-3) will play its last game of the regular season tonight when they face winless Breen Phillips (0-4), hoping for a win to stay in playoff contention.
"We are just going to play hard and play like this is our last game of the season," senior captain Tara Schimpf said. "We are going to have fun and enjoy every minute of it."
The game will be Welsh Family's first in two weeks, after beating Lewis 26-0. The victory saw huge strides from freshman quarterback Vicky Moreno as she led the team to four touchdowns.
Junior linebacker Samantha Miller led the Whirlwinds' defense in the shutout.
"We had to think on our feet and adjust during the game at times, but we have talented players that worked hard and kept fighting," Schimpf said of the dominating performance before break.
Breen Phillips has also been working hard, hoping to improve both sides of its game. The Babes have narrowed their losses defensively and are working offensively, aspiring to put some points on the scoreboard.
The two teams will face off at 7 p.m. at Riehle Field.
Howard vs. Farley
Two undefeated teams will meet in what could be a playoff preview as Farley (3-0-1) takes on Howard (4-0) tonight.
Farley hopes that a long layoff will not affect them in this important matchup.
"We think we are pretty well prepared," senior captain Caity Shepherd said. "We had a bye last Tuesday and then break so we've had two weeks off, but the team is playing very well."
The Finest will face a tough challenge on the defensive side of the ball in stopping the Howard attack led by junior quarterback Kayla Bishop, junior wide receiver Kaitlin Robinson and freshman wide receiver Laura Coletti. The aerial attack of the Ducks has averaged more than 20 points per game, but Shepherd is supremely confident in Farley's defense.
"The defense is finally clicking," Shepherd said. "People know and understand where they need to be on the field."
On the offensive side of the ball, Farley relies on the talented arm of sophomore quarterback Megan Bastedo, who will attempt to compete with Howard's notorious passing attack by throwing to talented sophomore receivers Katie Smith and Laura Yoviene.
"Our offense has come together a lot more as the season progressed," Shepherd said. "We put in some new plays in practice."
The Ducks, who have already secured a high playoff seed regardless of the outcome against Farley, are not resting on their laurels, but rather are looking to end the season strong.
"We're focused on winning the game and keeping our undefeated record," Robinson said. "Every game is important and Farley has some strong players."
Howard hopes to rely on the strong offense and opportunistic defense that has brought them to a 4-0 start.
"We're going to play strong on both sides of the ball and go for the perfect season," Robinson said.
The two powerhouses will collide at 8 p.m. at Riehle Field in an important late-season matchup.
McGlinn vs. Pasquerilla East
McGlinn and Pasquerilla East will put their playoff hopes on the line when they square off tonight.
The Shamrocks (1-1-1) are coming off a crucial victory against rival Welsh Family. McGlinn outlasted the Whirlwinds 21-13 in a matchup of last year's championship game.
"Defeating such a high-caliber team has given us the confidence we need to return to last season's form," senior captain Emily Dore said.
In order to maintain their winning ways, Shamrock quarterback Lauren Miller must lead the charge. The dual threat quarterback will look to keep Pasquerilla East's defense on its heels by delivering the ball to talented receivers of junior Kathleen Stanley and sophomore Kate Tucker. Stanley and Tucker will need big games if the Shamrocks are to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, the team seems confident about their ability heading into the game.
"We're progressively improving and have had a lot of good practices lately," Dore said. "We're really starting to come together as a team."
Pasquerilla East will look to stop McGlinn's momentum and recreate some momentum of their own. The Pyros (2-2) lost to Howard in their last game. In order to have a chance against McGlinn, they will need a better effort from their defense.
"Our defense had a slight letdown last game," senior quarterback Tara Pillar said. "Other then that they've been a major strength of our team."
Pillar heads the Pyros offensive attack. She has an array of underclassmen receivers, led by sophomore Kristin Mannion and freshman Erica Chenard.
"Each game a different receiver has stepped up so far," Pillar said. "We'll see who it is this week."
Pillar will lead Pasquerilla East against the defending champion Shamrocks at 9 p.m. at Riehle Field.
