Strasburg running back Jacob Smith has been one of the senior leaders for the undefeated Indians. Strasburg puts its undefeated record on the line at Bennett this week in a key Frontier League matchup.
File photo by Jeffery Tucker
Every streak has to start somewhere.
For the
Strasburg football program, the current seven-game run of victories has been something to savor. The Indians have already matched last year's win total, are one of only three teams in Class 2A without a loss and have outscored opponents 331-48.
But while each victory has been important, it was the season opener that provided the boost of confidence Strasburg needed to begin building momentum. The Indians kicked off their year Aug. 29 with a 26-22 victory over defending 2A state champion Platte Valley (Kersey), which had upended Strasburg in each of the previous six seasons.
"They're always a very physical team and very well-coached and they have great athletes. I think for us to get over that hump and do it by coming from behind, I think that was huge for us," Indians coach Jeff Giger said. "I think they truly believe now they can play with anybody."
Strasburg, currently ranked third in 2A in the CHSAANow.com poll, followed up that win with a 28-7 victory against Sterling, currently ranked ninth.
From there, Strasburg entered Frontier League play – the team is a new addition after several years in the daunting Patriot League. The Indians (7-0, 5-0) have owned their first five opponents, scoring at least 49 points in each game while posting three shutouts.
While putting up big numbers over the previous five games may not necessarily generate overconfidence, Giger said it does present a few issues headed into Friday night's rivalry showdown at
Bennett (5-2, 5-0). The winner will claim at least a share of the Frontier championship.
"It's new ground for us. We haven't been undefeated this late in the season, but playing these type of games there is some concern," he said. "We've tried to change some things in practice a little bit to push the kids a little harder than we normally would. The starters really haven't played a full game since the first two weeks."
But for a team loaded with depth and experience – nearly a third of the roster are seniors – a false sense of security isn't really an issue. Senior
Brian Nichols said facing two ranked opponents to start the season shows what this group can handle, and playing Bennett so late in the season is a good reflection of where the team is at headed into the playoffs.
"I think it's really nice because we've always come out the first game or second game and had to play Bennett," he said. "They've never really seen us in full swing. They've always seen us putting some new wrinkles into things and not the fine-tuned machine we are late in the season."
Both sides of the ball have indeed been running like a fine-tuned machine as of late. A year ago
Jacob Smith rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns as the Indians advanced into the 2A playoffs, only to fall to Florence by six points. Smith and Nichols have been neck-and-neck this fall, as both are closing in on the 600-yard mark while combining for 18 touchdowns.
Six other players have topped 100 yards rushing for Strasburg, which has nearly 2,500 as a team.
"Personally I think we have a lot more threats on the rest of the team than we have had in the past," Smith said.
Junior quarterback
Mitchell Martin, who has been on the field since his freshman season, has tossed 11 TDs with no interceptions. His top targets have been Smith and Nichols, who have seven receiving touchdowns between them.
Nichols has five sacks from his defensive end position, and senior
Shane Coombs is averaging seven tackles a game. The defense has several players back from last season, and a handful are three-year starters.
"Just being able to go out on the field this year and know you've been out there for the last two years, you kind of feel like you belong out there," Smith said. "It's not just your sophomore year anymore playing football in the first year of varsity."
After visiting Bennett, Strasburg closes the season with
Sheridan (Denver) before the postseason gets underway. This year's seniors are looking to make a splash in the playoffs after sustaining a trio of first-round losses since 2011.
All three came on the road and were by a combined 26 points.
"It's always been right there within our grasp," Nichols said. "I think as a team, this is the year where we finally have the team to finish a game and grind it out. We're brothers out there – we've been through it all together."
