The Apollo football team understands they’ve got a tough task in taking down South Warren on the road today in the first round of the state playoff.
Head coach Phil Hawkins may be just the man who can lead the Eagles (5-5) past the Spartans (10-0) for a surprise victory. Two seasons ago, when Hawkins was still at Doss, his team took down a Highlands squad who hadn’t lost in the first round since 1991.
It took a few unusual tactics then, and it’s going to take a few this time around.
“I tried to relate that to my guys,” he said. “They know it’s a challenge. I had to explain to them that we were going to do some things that probably didn’t seem normal to them to keep it close.”
It’s going to be about maintaining possession and limiting mistakes against a team that doesn’t make many of their own, he said.
“You have to control the clock 100 percent of the time,” Hawkins said. “You can’t get into doing something different, because before you know it you’re behind the chains and you’re in a shootout with a team that you can’t be in shootout with.”
After watching film, Hawkins said South Warren is undeniably good, but most of their success comes from creating turnovers and capitalizing on them.
“Their team is not a juggernaut offensively,” he said. “They have not accrued the yardage a 10-0 team typically would. They’re so good on defense and they take advantage of every little mistake, and they’re great on special teams. You have to keep those opportunities away from them.”
Unfortunately for Apollo, their offense took a big hit when versatile running back Mariano McKenzie was dealing with a lingering injury that has continued to get worse. McKenzie has 1,337 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season, but only gained 310 yards and scored twice in the last four games combined.
The Eagles have turned to Marvin Ramirez, who’s rushed for 269 yards and four touchdowns in just two showings. Ramirez is a downhill runner that’s hard to bring down, and Hawkins said that’s the better fit for this week’s game plan.
“With the type of football game we’re getting ready to play, he’s almost the perfect candidate anyway,” he said. “He’s very physical. It seems like kids aren’t that excited about tackling him. That’s part of the reason he’s got so many yards with so few carries.”
The Eagles may also be able to rely on backup quarterback Damian Lovinsky to provide a different look. Starter Colby Clark (1,701 yards, 13 touchdowns) has been a steady presence in the pocket all season, but Lovinsky showed he can be dangerous on the ground.
Last week, Lovinsky scrambled on a 4th-and-long to take it all the way for a touchdown to go along with 117 yards rushing.
The Apollo defense will largely look the same as it has all season and is led by Daelin Kennedy (93 tackles), Quentin Miller (72 tackles, 8 sacks) and Logan Weedman (48 tackles, 17 sacks).
The special teams, though, could feature several new faces. With the end of the season on the line, Hawkins said they’ll try anything to gain an advantage. That includes fielding a hands team to be able to control the ball better.
“The good thing about the playoffs is it’s win or you’re done,” he said. “We’re not worried if you get tired or not. This is what you’ve got to do. We’ll do whatever we have to personnel-wise to cut down on mistakes.”
