Jordan’s Road Trip: Peotone vs Herscher Preview
Continuing with my Road Trip we’re going to be visiting a week one matchup with the Peotone Blue Devils vs Herscher Tigers on Friday, March 19th. Here’s a preview of the matchup below. Overview: For this week 1 matchup, we…
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Continue ReadingContinuing with my Road Trip we’re going to be visiting a week one matchup with the Peotone Blue Devils vs Herscher Tigers on Friday, March 19th. Here’s a preview of the matchup below.
Overview:
For this week 1 matchup, we have Peotone vs Herscher. There are playmakers on both sides of the ball for each team. Let’s take a dive into each team and what my thoughts are heading into the game.
Offense:
Starting off with Peotone. They have returning running back Ben Balmer who only played a handful of games last season yet still managed to rush over 600 yards. Another key back to keep an eye on is 23’ Dawson Piper, he dominated JV play last season and got a few carries in a playoff game as well. Peotone is known for their run game with the Wing T formation which is their bread and butter. That being said with the addition of Lincoln-Way East transfer QB Tristan Weglarz look for Peotone to incorporate more of a passing attack into their offense than previously accustomed to.
Let’s take a look at Herscher. They have returning running back Cody Lunsford who did damage last season at both the back position and in the slot. Another name to keep an eye on is Adam Schott at receiver. Look for Hersher to run a spread offense utilizing their vertical attack to stretch the field and open up the running attack in the process.
Defense:
The defensive unit for Peotone is going to be all about defensive end Tyler Hendricker Tyler Hendricker 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Peotone | 2022 State IL and newcomer defensive end Alex Cardenas disrupting plays and getting pressure on the QB. They run a 3-5 defense and can turn it into a 3-4 and 5-3 depending on the game situation if it’s short-yardage etc. by taking their OLB to Saftey or walking both of them up on the line of scrimmage. Either way, look for their defensive line to disrupt plays and take on double teams which will open up the backers to flow freely to the ball.
Hersher runs a 3-4 defense and can turn it into a 5-2 with the OLB walked up on the line of scrimmage. Names to keep an eye on for this defense are OLB Talon Jones and DB Cody Lunsford. Both of these players can make plays in an instant and fly to the ball. With Peotone primarily running the Wing T offense, Herscher’s defense will have to fly to the ball and shoot the gaps to stop their running attack.
Key Points to Win:
Peotone: The biggest thing for Peotone to win this game is to stick to their bread and butter in the running attack. They have a carousel of running backs that can get it done on the ground and with the addition of Weglarz they can open up the playbook for passing plays. On defense, they will need to focus on Cody Lunsford. That will be the name of the game, limiting Lunsford to minimal gains and making sure each yard gained is tough to get.
Hersher: The biggest thing for Herscher to win this game is to continue with their vertical attack on offense. This is going to stretch the field and open up the ground game for Lunsford. During this attack look for Herscher to run draws and/or screens to take advance of the aggressiveness of the Peotone’s defensive line. On defense, they will need to key on Balmer and Piper in the run game as they are both strong runners that aren’t afraid to lower their shoulder. If Herscher can stop these two athletes, it’ll force Peotone to go to the passing game which is right where they would want Peotone.
Closing Thoughts:
Overall, I expect this game to be a close one. Both teams have talented players on both sides of the ball and both teams are here to win. It’s going to be a battle to see how the player’s legs are going into the second half because both offenses will wear the other defenses out. You have the physical ground and pound attack from Peotone and the tempo spread offense from Herscher. Whichever team is able to outlast the other with their legs and win the turnover battle is going to be the winner of this game. I have Peotone winning 28 – 24 in a hard-fought battle.
That’s my preview for the Peotone vs Herscher game on Friday, March 19th. I look forward to coming out to the game and seeing these young men compete. Keep an eye out for the post-game report to drop Saturday with the score of the game and the top performers from each team.
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