THE CODY BRONCS FOOTBALL TEAM FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON 7-1 GOOD FOR 2ND IN THE 3A WEST, ENTER THE PLAYOFFS AS THE 2 SEED OUT OF THE WEST AND NOW GET SET TO HOST THEIR FIRST GAME OF THE POSTSEASON. THIS TEAM CONTINUES TO STRIVE FOR A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WHICH IS JUST 3 WINS AWAY. FOR THE CODY BRONCS IT ALL STARTS THIS WEEK AT PRACTICE. HEAD COACH MATT MCFADDEN TALKS ABOUT THE TEAMS MINDSET AND APPROACH HEADING INTO THE PLAYOFFS.
“WE TRY TO PREPARE ALL SEASON JUST LIKE WE WOULD IN THE PLAYOFFS. I THINK THAT PREPARES US FOR THE SEASON. YOU GO 1-0, YOU HAVE ONE OPPONENT, WE’VE GOT AN OPPONENT IN WORLAND THIS WEEK. THAT’S ALL WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT. IF WE PLAY WELL WE MOVE ON, THEN WE DON’T KNOW WHO WE PLAY. IF WE DON’T PLAY (WELL), THEN WE DON’T MOVE ON. FOR US IT’S LITERALLY, IT’S ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE PRACTICE AT A TIME, ONE GAME AT A TIME AND THEY’VE REALLY BOUGHT INTO THAT.”
THE BRONCS ARE SET TO HOST A FAMILIAR FOE, THE WORLAND WARRIORS FOR A FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF GAME. THESE TWO TEAMS WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD BACK ON SEPTEMBER 13TH WITH CODY WINNING 28-14. OFFENSIVELY FOR THE BRONCS IT ALL STARTS WITH RUNNING THE ROCK. COACH MCFADDEN ON THE ABILITY TO RUN VS. WORLAND.
“WE’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO RUN ON THEM. IN THE FIRST GAME WE STRUGGLED, WE WERE DOWN A FEW KIDS BUT THEY PLAYED TERRIFIC DEFENSE, VERY DISRUPTIVE. THEIR D-LINEMEN ARE SMALL BUT THEY GET IN THE BACK FIELD A LOT. SO WE’VE GOT TO CONTROL THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AND MAKE SURE WE CAN ESTABLISH OUR RUNNING GAME AS NUMBER 1. AFTER THAT WE NEED TO DO A GOOD JOB WITH OUR PLAY-ACTION GAME. THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG FOCUSES EVERY WEEK. ESTABLISH THE RUN, TURN AROUND AND ONCE THEY SELL OUT FOR THE RUN YOU HURT THEM WITH THE PASS.”
FOR THE WARRIORS THIS IS A PASS FIRST OFFENSE, LED BY RUDY SANFORD, GOING AGAINST A BRONCS TEAM THAT PRIDES THEMSELVES ON STOPPING THE RUN. WATCH FOR THE WORLAND RECEIVERS AND BACKS TO BE A BIG DIFFERENCE AS COACH MCFADDEN EXPLAINS.
“THEY’VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD RECEIVERS. THE MORTIMER KID, BIG TALL RECEIVER ON THE EDGE. THE MERCADO KID, KIND OF A LITTLE QUICK, LITTLE KIND OF Z BACK IN THE SLOT. THEY’RE VERY, VERY GOOD RECEIVERS. WE’VE GOT A TOUGH CHALLENGE AND THEY HAVE A GOOD SCHEME WHERE THEY CAN RUN RUDY. THEY GIVE HIM THE CHOICE ON THE BACK SIDE ON ONE THING, AND THEN ANOTHER CONCEPT ON THE FRONT SIDE. SO IT’S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR OUR DEFENSE. WE’VE GOT TO MAKE THEM ONE-DIMENSIONAL AND THEN, WE’VE GOT A GOOD D-LINE. WE’VE GOT TO LET OUR D-LINE WORK AND FLOW. TRY TO GET TO THE QUARTERBACK WITHOUT GIVING UP A BIG PLAY IN THE SECONDARY.
AND FOR THE BRONCS TO COME AWAY VICTORIOUS IN THE PLAYOFFS IT COULD COME DOWN TO SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS JUST HOLDING ONTO THE FOOTBALL.
“I THINK TURNOVERS PLAY A BIG PART IN PLAYOFF GAMES. I’D LIKE TO SEE US HAVE SOME STRONG BALL SECURITY AND JUST BE DISCIPLINED AND FOCUSED. YOU KNOW LAST GAME I THINK WE LOST OUR FOCUS A LITTLE BIT. REALLY LIKE TO SEE US LOCK IN MENTALLY AND FOCUS. I DON’T KNOW IF I’D CALL OUT A PARTICULAR GROUP. I THINK THAT FALLS UNDER EVERYBODY THAT WE NEED TO BE LOCKE-IN. SO, YEA JUST BE DISCIPLINED AND FOCUSED AND PLAY OUR TYPE OF GAME. SHOULD WORK OUT.”
THE CODY BRONCS HOST THE WORLAND WARRIORS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS TONIGHT AT SPIKE VANNOY STADIUM. TUNE INTO THE CALL ON AM 1400 AND 96.7 FM WITH PRE-GAME GETTING UNDERWAY AT 5:30, KICK-OFF AT 6PM.
