The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers (2-4) controlled the game on the way to a 10-7 win over Pagosa Springs (1-5) last week.
A long drive to start the second half drained clock, allowing the Pirates to have only one possession in the third quarter.
M-CHS will take a similar approach on Friday when hosting the No. 5 team in Class 2A in the Bayfield Wolverines (5-0).
“I think that’s the ideal situation for our offense,” said line coach Tim Robinson. “We’re not going to put up a bunch of points. We’re going to have to control the clock and grind it out and hopefully it’s a close game.”
Better play from the offensive line allowed the Panthers to dictate the tempo last week, and with a line comprised almost entirely of freshman, Robinson credits simplifying things as a reason for improvement.
“I think a lot of it has just been fundamentals,” he said. “We got back to the basics of blocking.”
The line will be tested against a much bigger defensive front from the Wolverines on Friday.
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers are expecting Bayfield to run the ball the majority of the time.
The Wolverines’ run game is based on deception, with multiple different looks and zone reads, counters and play-action plays. M-CHS will need to stay home on the edges to avoid giving up big plays.
The Panthers handed the Wolverines a 47-13 loss last year, so Robinson expects Bayfield to come in looking for a bit of revenge.
“Every year it’s a big battle between Bayfield and Cortez,” he said. “Last year we went there and beat them, so they’re going to be hoping to beat us. So I think it will be a good game.”
