It is only fitting that that our US Marines Battle of the Gridiron Series affair features teams that wear red (and gray), white and blue on this Sept. 11 remembrance. Dixie Heights, the reigning Class 6A state runner-up, visits rival Simon Kenton. The Colonels, who are looking for their first win of the season, are finding life isn’t so kind after last year’s fantastic run.
Noah Caple of Dixie Heights
Simon Kenton is a scoring machine. The Pioneers offense has been nothing short of outstanding. They are looking to avenge a pair of lopsided losses to Dixie Heights including one that knocked them out of the playoffs last fall. They were the only two losses that the Pioneers had in 2014.
DIXIE HEIGHTS COLONELS (0-2) at SIMON KENTON PIONEERS (3-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m at Chlorine Menefee Stadium
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PLAYERS TO WATCH: Jose Torres is a game changer on both sides of the ball for Dixie Heights. The junior ran for 107 yards and a pair of scores, including a 72-yard scamper for six, in last week’s loss to Milford. He also returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown. Senior Ethan Schulte stars in all three phases of the game for the Colonels.
The offense has starred for Simon Kenton to start the season. The onslaught begins with quarterback Cameron Racke. The junior has accounted for 602 yards of total offense (387 passing, 215 rushing) and five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing). Running back Dillon Powell has rushed for 641 yards and seven touchdowns. He is 120 rushing yards away from 3,000 for his career. Three times in his last six starts Powell has run for 200 yards or more (four times 175-plus).
The Pioneers’ defense is led by Tucker Mueller, Dalton Finnell, Brian Carter and Trent Kinkaid. The team is creating three turnovers per contest. Finnell has two fumble recoveries and an interception. Mueller has recorded 2.5 sacks.
TEAM TRENDS: Simon Kenton is averaging 530.6 yards of offense (391.6 rushing, 139.0 passing) and 52 points per game. The Pioneers have hit the 50-point mark in all three of their contests. Six times in the last seven years Simon Kenton has won at least nine games (10 or more six times) under head coach Jeff Marksberry. They are 26-3 since the beginning of 2013.
Three of Dixie Heights’ five touchdowns this season were scored within a 7:38 minute period of the 96:00 total minutes that they have played. The Colonels are giving up 39.0 points per game.
DIXIE HEIGHTS’ KEYS TO VICTORY: The Colonels should be able to move the ball. Simon Kenton has given up points and yardage, but mostly through the air after they get their opponents down by a handful of scores. Dixie Heights wants to gain that yardage on the ground, control the clock and grind it out in order to get to the final stanza.
SIMON KENTON’S KEYS TO VICTORY: A veteran group in the trenches on both sides of the ball should be the difference in this affair. They have the ability to move the pile and that will put Dixie Heights behind the eight ball by the fourth quarter. The offense must stay error free and avoid letting Dixie Heights have any extra possessions.
PREDICTION: SIMON KENTON 42, DIXIE HEIGHTS 14
RELATED: Other top games in Northern Kentucky and SE Indiana this week.
