GREENWICH -- Joel Preston proved prophetic after the Rensselaer Rams' season opener at Greenwich this season.
"When he shook our hands after the game, Joel said, 'We'll see you Week 10,'" Witches head coach Brandon Linnett said, referring to his team's 20-7 Week 1 loss to Rensselaer. "We said, 'We'll see what happens.' And here we are."
"I actually felt that way last year, too," said Preston, the Rams' head coach. "They're well-coached, they have a lot of athletes and we have a lot of respect for them."
Nine weeks after their initial meeting, Greenwich (7-2) takes on Rensselaer (8-1) again. They meet Saturday at 2 p.m. at Shenendehowa High School for the Class D championship of the Section II Football Tournament.
The Witches come into the game on a six-game winning streak since a Week 3 loss to Class C Cambridge. The defending Section II champion Rams suffered their only loss back on Oct. 2, a 21-7 setback to Class C sectional finalist Hoosick Falls.
"We don't want to be satisfied with just getting here," Linnett said. "We talked to the captains before the season and their goal was to play in Week 10. We made it happen. But we don't want to be satisfied."
Greenwich, making its first Section II finals appearance since winning Class D in 1997, brings a power-I offense and tough defense into Saturday's contest. Take away the 61 points they gave up in their two losses, and the Witches have allowed only 46 points in seven games, including their fourth shutout, a 50-0 semifinal rout of Saratoga Catholic on Oct. 30.
However, their offense was shut out against Rensselaer; Greenwich's only points came on a 90-yard kickoff return by Collin McCormick.
"The first time we played was a little chaotic," Preston said. "We turned the ball over four times. They forced us to be one-dimensional by taking our pass away. We really had to pound the ball."
"We have to create some offense," Linnett said. "I thought our defenses were equal, but we couldn't get anything going, we couldn't sustain any offense. On defense, they have three or four guys who just make plays. We could not simulate their speed at all."
Witches junior Tyler Pruiksma carried the ball only once in that game. Since then, Pruiksma has emerged as their leading rusher with 968 yards and 13 touchdowns on 102 carries.
"I played cornerback against them the first game," Pruiksma said. "I'm real excited to get a couple carries against them this time."
Sophomore quarterback Tony Giroux has improved, passing for 809 yards and 11 scores. Ryan McFee is his favorite target, catching 21 passes for 336 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior Ben Barbur anchors a solid offensive front.
"They're like us, they spread the ball around," Preston said. "They're tough inside, they tackle well and do a lot of things on offense. We'll have to play smart, play balanced, play sound defense and not make mistakes."
Rensselaer presents a challenge with their speed, size and experience. The Rams have averaged 46 points per game in their eight victories.
"They're not just fast, they're real physical, too," Linnett said. "Our defense has been solid all year. Even against Rensselaer, we made them earn every yard."
The Rams are powered by speedster Mico De Los Santos, a special teams monster who lines up in several spots, including quarterback in the "wildcat" formation, and running backs Jashem Hamilton and Nate Butler. All three are four-year varsity starters. They have combined to rush for 1,763 yards and scored a total of 33 touchdowns this season, led by De Los Santos' 16 scores.
"He's scored every way possible - rushing, passing, kicking, kick returns, interceptions," Preston said of De Los Santos. "We line Mico up at quarterback in the spread. When a kid's that good, you've got to give him more touches."
Posted in High-school-and-prep on Saturday, November 7, 2009 12:25 am
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