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Show Thursday Quarterback Cedar vs. Payson throw more on first and second downs "if we give our quarterback the time. There's a lot of offense we haven't had the chance to use yet. We'll find out whether or not we can use these things in the future." Statistically, Cedar appears well-able to handle Payson. The Redmen are still second in the division in offense, averaging 19 points per game, and are tops in defense, allowing a sparkling eight points per tilt. Payson rates fifth in both categories, averaging 12 points offensively, and yielding 19 defensively. Looking ahead to the state playoffs, beginning Oct. 25 in Cedar City, the likely first round foe will be Salt Lake-area powerhouses Murray or Cyprus. Murray earlier defeated Cyprus, making the latter team most likely. One interesting fact is that the Region Seven visitors to Cedar will not only have a long bus ride facing them, but will have played their final game just two days prior to their first playoff showdown. A win in the first game would give the Redmen a likely second-round rematch with American Fork, a 19-7 victim to Cedar in the first game of the year, but a team that has gone on to rout nearly every one of its opponents since that time. SUSC vs. Fort Lewis A wholly new kind of task awaits Cedar High's Redmen tonight in their meeting with Payson-can Payson-can they win a game they don't have to win? Cedar has proven itself time and time again against tough competition, com-petition, and in "must" games. Now, they don't "have" to win a game--their first place standing has been assured-and they face a team which has lost its last three games, two lopsidedly. The Redmen may already have these two strikes against them when they travel north. Points out Coach Dave Jenson: "Payson has nothing to lose. This is their last game, and they'll have lots of desire to knock off an undefeated un-defeated team. They have quite a few seniors who will want to remember this last game." Perhaps this makes it appear as if the Redmen should be the underdogs-which underdogs-which by no means they are. Cedar enters 7-0, and nothing would please the team more than to notch Cedar's first undefeated regular season in 18 years, when the team faced much smaller schools. The Redmen lace a team appearing to be down of late. Last week, Payson lost to Spanish Fork 45-14, a team Cedar earlier defeated i:j-7. Springville earlier trounced Payson 46-7, and Dixie downed them 12-7. Payson does own wins over Carbon, Pleasant . Grove and Timpview. Jenson, who is always charitable to his upcoming up-coming opponents, sees potential problems for his Redmen . going into tonight's encounter. "Their problems lie in making some big errors at crucial times, not in having a bad ballclub," Jenson analyzed. "They had a close game with Dixie, and really should have beat them." The Redmen will once again see the veer running run-ning formation, but this time with a team that throws a bit more. "They mix up their plays well. You don't know if they're coming at you with a run or pass," Jenson said. "They also run a lot of trick plays like reverses, flanker passes, and so forth." Concerning his team's attack, Jenson had more to say than usual. "We want to be able to show a lot of things," Jenson began, noting that scouts from Cedar's likely playoff foes will be at the game. "We'll try and open up and run a large variety ol offensive plays. We'd like to uivc ihem (the scouts i a hcik of a lot to look at." Jenson also said the Redmen would probably "Our reaction to last week's disappointing loss could determine how well we'll .do for the remainder of the season," is the prediction of Southern Utah State College Football Coach Jack Bishop. The way Bishop sees it, his Thunderbirds will still be a very serious contender con-tender for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship, cham-pionship, if they can shake off the possibly bad psychological effects of last week's last second 38-37 38-37 loss to a good Cal Poly Pomona team. SUSC will move back into RMAC action this week Cal Poly is not a conference school when it hosts Fort Lewis College at 1 p.m. in Thunderbird Stadium. The game will be carried live on KSUB Radio. "We still have a 3-1 conference record; and we have demonstrated that we are a good football team. I see no reason why we shouldn't still be optimistic about our chances in the conference." con-ference." Bishop says. "I do think that if we put together a good game this weekend and win, it would be a big boost for us." Fort Lewis is struggling with a 1-3 record (1-2 in the RMAC). Most coaches around the conference, including Raider Coach Jay McNitt figured that the Durango team would be much tougher than it has shown to date. "I figure that they'll be a 'hungry' team, a team that wants very badly to win," Bishop analyzes. "And, a 'hungry' team is a dangerous team." Fort Lewis opened the season with a loss but a respectable loss to a good Fort Hays team (21-14), (21-14), then the Raiders whipped Western New Mexico (23-17), and it looked like they were on the way to the predicted good season. Then things soured. After a week away from action, the Raiders were pummeled by Southern Colorado (45-12) and upset New Mexico Highlands (8-0 last week). The Raiders have one of the RMAC's top rushers in David Barnes, a quick 170-pound senior. "We also figure that they have a good offensive line; that combined with our depleted defensive line might be a problem for us," Bishop says. Defensively, Fort Lewis has a pair of linebackers very high in the conference statistics. J.D. Weiman, a 218-pound senior, and Mack Reynolds, a 218-pound junior combine for 38 tackles per game. Weiman averages nearly 24 tackles per contest, while Reynolds get 14. Defensively, overall, Fort Lewis has slightly better starts than does SUSC. Offensively, the Thunderbirds average 376 yards per game; that's about 30 yards more per contest than the Raiders get. "We aren't planning any significant departure from the things we have done so far this season," Bishop says. "As usual, we are hoping that we can execute the way we'd like, and we are looking at doing a little better job of maintaining our intensity." Parowan vs. Milford Parowan High School knows its season has boiled down to one ganu---and that one game will be against Milford tonighl in Milford. They enter the game having received word that their earlier-liled protest of an 8-7 loss lo North Sevier has been denied. .. .. Though that denial lei t their league mark at a dismal u-3, they still, remarkably, have some hope of getting the third spot in state playoffs-bul that scenario hinges on a win over Milford. Should the Rams defeat Milford, both teams would be 1-3 in league play. North Sevier, the other candidate, will most likely be defeated by Heaver tonighl. also making them 1-3. Next week, the Kama lace potent Hurricane. 7-0 thus lar. and a Parowan victory. Iioneslly, is not likely. Hut I hey may not need lo win. Milford laces Heaver next week, and not inanv area residents will lie betting on Ihe Tigers. North Sevier gels a home game ;iy;tinsi Kaii.ih. a '(-.nil established as Ihe m-i iinl lesl l A team in ihe region. I! one we're lo look .it the score ol the le.iin.-preseason le.iin.-preseason name, thai being 2(i 0 Millonl. it wouldn't appeal lo be much ol a rematch Hut statistically, Ihe game was much closer, and without a few crucial Ram bos-boos, it could well have been a horserace. hor-serace. --Milford will be playing without the services of their starting quarterback, and have recruited a player from another position to fill in That transition could cosl the Tigers somewhal. il Parowan capitalizes. This game could U- one loo. il you consider --The Rams plavcd Millord alter liomlun dreen River Ihe week liciore, one ul the st hind's Inggcsl wins ever, and clearly entered the Millord nil over conlidenl. The) . nine rested this time .iilei a Ii40 (Listing h Heaver, which is likelv apt lo make them ready lo "prove something." |