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The game that could decide the Milwaukee City - Richardson conference championship happens to be the opening conference game for both of the preseason favorites. Milwaukee Riverside (1-1) will take on Bay View (1-1) at 7:30pm this Friday at Pulaski Stadium.
Bay View comes into the contest a slight favorite and coming off a 33-13 win over Milwaukee Pius. Riverside will try to come back after a disappointing blowout loss to Catholic Memorial 55-6 in a game that was essentially over before halftime.
The Tigers started the season strong with a convincing win over Wauwatosa East 41-6 in a game that saw standout RB Ryan Givens run for 210 yards and three touchdowns. However, the team suffered a letdown the following week due to a bit of overconfidence according to Coach Patrick Wagner. "The kids just kind of assumed" said Wagner, "that if we keep doing what we did in the past to be successful, that's gonna be enough, and it doesn't work that way."
After using a platoon at the quarterback position for the first two games, Riverside will shelve that strategy and go with Junior John D'amato, a left hander that has performed much better in the first two games. He is beginning to develop a connection with wideout Geoffrey Bacon who has two touchdown catches this season.
But the keys to the game for Riverside will be RB Ryan Givens ability to get free in the open field to create big opportunities, and the defensive ability to stop Bay Views top offensive threat RB Darril Wynn.
"We have some special things in this week to knock those keys out" said Wagner when asked about opposing defenses keying on Givens. "We're gonna win or lose with (Givens) and we want to make sure he gets the ball and he does what he needs to do."
For Bay View, the approach is similar in that they will go as far as their star running back Wynn will take them. Against Pius, he racked up 292 yards on 20 carries and four touchdowns. "Stop Wynn" was Wagner's response when asked the keys to the game. Not only is Wynn the primary threat on offense, but he needs to be accounted for in the return game as well.
The Redcats can also look to Senior wideout Teon Banks, who also shined against Pius last week with 122 yards receiving. And, with 26 seniors and 16 returning starters, the Redcats have experience on their side.
Even with solid receivers on each team, the keys to the game remain on the ground. If Riverside can contain Wynn by solidly filling the gaps with the linebacker combination of Oscar Johnson and Anthony Bounds, they can force the Bay View offense to throw the ball more, which will play into the Tiger's favor. That, however, is much easier said than done.
Will we see the Riverside team that took rolled in their opener, or the team that lost their composure and confidence last week? The answer will determine the odds on favorite to win the conference title.
Click the play button to listen to the interview with Coach Patrick Wagner
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