Tiger Gameday – Week 3 vs Totino Grace
Tiger Gameday – Week 3
Last Game: Hutchinson 22 Delano 6
Game Recap: it wasn’t the best night for the offense, as they turned the ball over 4 times in the game. But the defense was up to the task getting a School record 3 interceptions from Brady Larson and turning Delano away multiple times. Offensively Hutch did have Two 100 yard rushers in Eli Croatt and Manny Pearce. Pearce scored all 3 touchdowns in the game.
Current Record: 2-0 (Ranked #1)
This Week’s Opponent: Totino Grace (2-0, Ranked #4)
About the Opponent: We can’t remember the last time any team beat Totino Grace TWICE in the same season. That happened for Hutch last year. And in those games TG had 19 Junior starters…which means this year they have 19 Senior starters. They have experience, physicality, and skill. According to 247sports.com the Eagles have 2 of the top 11 recruits in the state…CB Josiah Young and DL Theo Thomas are both 3 star recruits. To quote Pro Wrestling announcer Jim Ross, this one’s gonna be a “Slobberknocker”.
Key Hutch Players: Offensive Line. In last year’s two games it was a tale of two lines. In the first game the OL struggled mightily against the skilled Eagles. Hutch’s defense locked down the win as the offense did just enough to win. In the second game, Hutch’s OL dominated and the Tigers popped off for 44 points. Which kind of a line does Hutch get tonight? That could go a LONG way to dermining the win.
4 Downs/Storylines:
First Down: Turnovers. Elephant in the room here, but Hutch’s offense has turned the ball over 8 times in the first two weeks. Now to be fair, two of those TO’s were “end of the half, let’s just fling it down there” kind of turnovers. But Hutch is still on the minus side of the Take/Give Ratio. You can’t keep turning the ball over against good teams, and especially against a top 5 ranked team like TG.
Second Down: Tackle. Like Hutch, Totino Grace wants to run the ball…and run the ball straight at you. The eagles have a nice big fullback and touch running back, they can run very effectively. It’s almost like seeing a mirror image of yourself. Make plays, tackle the ball carrier…It doesn’t sound hard…but It can be.
Third Down: Deal with outside factors. Tonight is supposed to be Warm for a september night. Drink water, stay hydrated and deal with the heat. It’s also Homecoming tonight so there’s a lot of hoopla surrouncing the game. As a dad I know Homecoming is fun for the kids and they should participate in things. But as a Football guy, I know you have to be able to leave the fun for after the game…spend these 2 hours trying to win a football game.
4th Down/Quick Hit Keys: Who’s gonna step up this week? Hutch does still have some injuries. So who’s gonna step up and be this weeks Brady Larson? … Before tonights game the 2024 class of inductees into Hutch’s Wall of Fame will be honored. The honorees are: Eugene Olson, Coach – Patricia Greene, Coach – Jeff Hoeft, Coach – Ed Homan, Student Athlete – Brian Kaping, Student Athlete
