Lions And Panthers To Tangle

The top rated Minot Ryan Lions Football team will play their first playoff game in 3 years when t...  More »

The top rated Minot Ryan Lions Football team will play their first playoff game in 3 years when they host Rugby on Saturday in first round play of the AA football playoffs. The Lions come in undefeated on the season and the game will be a rematch from earlier this season in a game won by the Lions 20-13. The Panthers come in as the 4th seed out of the east, but defeated top seeded Oak Grove earlier this year. The Lions are aware of the Panthers offense and will concentrate on trying to limit the passing game. Bryan Kramer, Ryan football coach:It's gonna be a battle again Mike. You know they've got Zwingel in the backfield with Duchsherer and Schmaltz and all those weapons and we're just working on trying to be as good as we can be with the things that we do. It's no secret we gotta slow those three kids down first and foremost in their offense and then in our offense we gotta be effective running the football. The Zwingel kid is so good back there. He knows when to tuck the ball and go and he's a great runner and he and those two receivers have a great chemistry together and we're gonna have to get bodies on those people and not make it easy for him to move around back there, get some pressure on him. Jerik Elm, senior:We know they're a pretty dangerous team with lots of weapons. Our defense is gonna have to show up and we're gonna have to make some big plays. Blake Eggl, senior:They're gonna throw. They got a good quarterback and we've been working with our d-backs this week and we look to contain him and hopefully shut him down.  « Less