Even though the South Gray Rebels hadn’t made it to the playoffs the past two seasons, third-year coach Jeff Blattner thought the team had the potential to be special in 2011.
“We have pretty good talent, and if we get the chemistry down, we have a chance to be a pretty good football team,” Blattner was quoted as saying in Kansas Pregame Magazine before the season.
Well, let’s just say that the Rebels have the chemistry down.
South Gray is 11-0, and before last Friday’s 42-38 semifinal win against Osborne the Rebels had defeated every opponent by at least two touchdowns.
That success has South Gray in its first state championship since the consolidated school was formed in 1992.
The Rebels will face the defending 8-Man Division I state champion Madison Bulldogs at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fischer Field in Newton with the 2011 state title on the line.
“When I got here, I knew we had good talent coming up,” said Blattner, who coached at Haviland for 22 years before taking over the South Gray program in 2009. “I thought we had the potential to have a good football club. But we’ve worried more about the journey than about the end result. When you worry about the end result, you start playing not to lose instead of playing to win the game. We just look at the journey and worry about getting better each week.”
Talent at quarterback and running back are some of the reasons South Gray’s journey has been so successful this season.
South Gray running back Coulter Croft has rushed for 2,352 yards and 38 TDs on 220 carries, while quarterback Wyatt Slaven has rushed for 1,568 yards and 33 TDs on 172 carries.
The duo definitely makes the Rebels’ option offense click.
“You have to have a playmaker,” Blattner said. “I define a playmaker as someone who can get in the open field and take it to the house. In the past, I’ve had teams with really good kids but we didn’t always have someone with the speed to take it in the open field. On this team, we have two playmakers. The Lord blesses you in many ways, and that’s one of the ways He’s blessed me. We have two explosive players.”
The Madison defense can expect to see Croft and Slaven a lot Saturday. The pair combines for 392 of the team’s 448 rushing attempts. Also don’t expect the Rebels to throw a lot as Slaven has completed 6-of-26 passes for 143 yards this season.
Knowing what South Gray is going to do is one thing, but stopping the Rebels is easier said than done.
“They’re both real fine athletes,” Madison coach Fred McClain said. “The kids block hard for them. Coach Blattner has put together a real nice scheme, and they have a lot of athleticism. We can’t leave creases. We can’t leave holes, because they have real quality athletes.”
The Bulldogs boast plenty of athleticism as well.
Senior running back Kole Schankie enters the game as one of the most successful players in state history. Schankie has scored 115 career touchdowns and has rushed for more than 5,000 yards.
“The Schankie kid is second to none,” Blattner said. “It’s impressive how strong he is. Players just bounce off of him.”
But as good as Schankie is at running back, he may be as good or better at cornerback. He has 24 career turnovers, including 14 this season.
“He’s kind of being recruited on defense,” McClain said. “They’re looking at him as a safety or outside linebacker. He’s got good reach. When he fills out, he’s going to be a big guy. He has a knack for getting turnovers. He’s just one of those guys who makes plays for you.”
Madison quarterback Collin Kile has directed the Bulldogs through their 25-game winning streak.
“Kile has been outstanding the past two years,” McClain said. “We have real fine receivers. They all catch the ball and all run the ball real well. Our offensive line is young, but they are big and strong.”
Kile did hurt his shoulder during last week’s 52-6 semifinal win against Lakeside-Downs, but McClain said he is expected to go Saturday and attempt to defend Madison’s state title.
“It’s been an interesting ride to be ranked No. 1 in the state right off the bat and have the bull’s-eye on our back the whole season,” McClain said. “I thought the kids handled that pretty well.”
However, McClain said last year’s state title doesn’t help them going into Saturday’s game.
“It’s pretty simple,” he said. “You have two undefeated football teams. You have the best from the East and the best from the West, and you’re going to see where the chips fall.”
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