Panther football renews cross-county rivalry

No. 2 Cody Broncs rely on depth, athleticism

Posted 10/10/19

Looking to wash the bitter taste of last week’s 36-0 dismantling at the hands of top-ranked Star Valley out of their mouths, the Powell High School football team faces another big road test …

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Panther football renews cross-county rivalry

No. 2 Cody Broncs rely on depth, athleticism

Posted

Looking to wash the bitter taste of last week’s 36-0 dismantling at the hands of top-ranked Star Valley out of their mouths, the Powell High School football team faces another big road test Friday against the undefeated and No. 2-ranked Cody Broncs.

The Panthers (3-2, 1-1 in 3A West) held on to the No. 5 spot in the 3A rankings despite the loss to the Braves, and head coach Aaron Papich said his team will have to have a short memory if they want to pull off the upset against the Broncs (5-0, 2-0 in 3A West).

“We told the kids after the Star Valley game that what we saw is not who we are. We know that we’re better than this,” Papich said. “We have a three-week season right now, so we’re going to do everything we can to push ourselves to the limit.”

As is often the case whenever Powell and Cody meet, last season’s contest was a slugfest. When the dust finally settled, the Broncs were left standing, coming from behind in the second half to win 22-10. Cody head coach Matt McFadden said his team has had its fair share of injuries this season, but a talented group of underclassmen have provided the depth needed to be successful.

“We’ve got a big senior class, so we have a lot of experience there,” he said. “But we’ve had a lot of sophomores step up because of injuries early in the season, we’ve been missing some key players. To have those sophomores come in and play big reps has been huge for us.”

Sophomores Drew Trotter and Chaz Cowie are just two of the players who have seen significant time at running back the last few games for the Broncs, who are second in the state in rushing in 3A with 252 yards per game; Cowie leads the team in rushing with 293 yards and a touchdown through five games. Quarterback Hunter Hays has thrown for 436 yards this season, with five touchdowns against three interceptions.

“We know Cody has the double wing and they get off the ball hard,” Papich said. “They’re really good at running their plays out of that formation. They also run power, toss and sweep, so they block really hard. For us each week, it’s about trusting what you do and trusting technique. We’re just going to play to the whistle every play. I think we’re going to do a good job this week.”

Cody also boasts the No. 1 rush defense in the state, allowing 103.2 yards per game; Powell is fourth in that same category, allowing 131 yards per game.

“We need Kadden Abraham and Adrian Geller to really step up this week, they have a big role,” Papich said. “They’ve been doing a good job this season, but especially this week they have a big responsibility in what we have them doing on our defense.”

Both coaches know past performances and current records mean nothing when it comes to rivalry games; when Powell and Cody square off, regardless of the sport, prepare for a dogfight.

“It’s why you play football,” McFadden said. “It’s two small towns — everyone shows up, it has a traveling trophy. Most these kids know each other and respect each other. But at the same time, each side wants to win, and they do so in the right manner. It will be intense. It’s gonna feel like playoff football.”

Papich agreed.

“This week is about clarity, it’s about simplicity — going hard and finishing,” Papich said. “Coach McFadden has a really good program, and they execute well on all levels. I know they’re going to come right at us. I’ll gonna be happy with whatever happens after this game as long as we finish and give it everything we have. There were some plays where that wasn’t the case against Star Valley, so we need to improve that effort.”

As for McFadden, the respect is definitely mutual.

“It’s a great program over there in Powell — they’ve had a couple of down years, but they always play us tough,” McFadden said. “They look really good right now, very physical, very big. We’ll expect a very strong defense, but they have some big skill players on offense as well. We expect to have our hands full, and for it to come down to the wire.”

Powell High School, Panther Football

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