Winhawk Football Runway
(KWNO)- The Winona Senior High football team celebrated homecoming this past weekend as they welcomed Fairbult to Paul Giel Field as their homecoming opponent.
It was yet another dominant performance from the defensive side of the ball as the Winhaws dismantled Fairbult en route to a shutout, 22-0.
The offense welcomed back a healthy Dominic Davis as the rushing attack dominated for the Winhawks, earning 251 yards on the ground. The Winhawks were dedicated to the run all night, as they only garnered a total of 259 yards of offense in total.
Much of that had to do with the scoreline. Being up for the majority of the game while the defense rarely showed any signs of weakness, running the ball was all the offense needed to do.
“I think that [rushing attack] comes from our mentality up front and also a lot of it is, a lot of reader plays so you know the QB has to make a read and we have options and we got some misdirection which allows us to do good things,” said head coach for the Winhawks, John Cassellius, when asked about what makes this rushing attack so successful.
Dominic Davis picked up right where he left us, having 21 attempts for 147 yards, and added two touchdowns. Aiden Falls earned the final touchdown for the Winhawks on a night he rushed for 17 yards on five attempts.
But the defense once again stole the show, forcing their second shutout in three weeks and third shutout on the season. Cassellius says of his defense,
“Yeah I think our defense is playing well, we’re capable of good things. We’ve got a lot of experience at all levels and that allows us to get into the right positions…[With that experience] We’re more intentional [in the way we play] and the kids understand the big picture on defense.”
The Winhawks seem to get better week in and week out. With only two games remaining it’s imperative to be playing at the highest level for the playoffs. This is something Cassellius has preached all year and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. Cassellius mentioned the little things still need to be cleaned up on the offensive side of the football in order to get to that high level of play. Something that would certainly help a struggling passing game. Yet, if the rushing attack is this good, the Winhawks might not need to worry about throwing the football.
Of course, the Winhawks can’t get too ahead of themselves. With top-ranked Stewartville getting set to host the Winhawks, this will be the hardest matchup of the season. An undefeated juggernaut who certainly has state aspirations provides a great litmus test to see where the Winhawks are at with two weeks before playoffs,
“Obviously a team ranked high in the state gives yourself kind of a measuring stick to see where you’re at and how you’re playing as you’re trying to prepare yourself for that second season (playoffs),” said Cassellius.
Stewartville is talented, and they’ve been on a roll. They have two shutouts on the season, haven’t allowed more than 13 points to any opponent, and against Albert lea, they dropped 71 points on their head. Not that Albert Lea is a stellar opponent, but 71 points is 71 points. Cassellius pointed out that one of the better things the Tigers of Stewartville do is get ahead early and keep up the pressure throughout the game.
It will be a huge key for the Winhawks come this Friday. To not dig themselves in a hole early and have to come back. The defense, though, is ready for the challenge. Wesley Wollan and Ashten Vaughn will have a tough task ahead of themselves, but they’ve proved time and time again that they, as well as the defense as a whole, can be dominant.
“The run game, both ways. Who’s gonna be able to establish the line of scrimmage and whos going to be able to run the stuff they want to run offensively, then I think secondly, is being opportunistic and not turning the ball over and putting the defense in a tough spot,” Cassellius remarked after being asked about his keys to the game.
The Winhawks will make the trek to the Class-4A top-ranked team in Stewartville this Friday. Kick-off at 7:00 p.m. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the Ballin’ in the Bluffs pregame show, only on Real Country, 101.5 FM, 1380 AM.
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