Prep Football: Jefferson City looking for second straight win vs. Rockhurst

Jefferson City quarterback Gunnar See (left) fakes a handoff to Tyler Bise during a game earlier this season against Hickman at Adkins Stadium.
Jefferson City quarterback Gunnar See (left) fakes a handoff to Tyler Bise during a game earlier this season against Hickman at Adkins Stadium.

The Jefferson City Jays enter tonight's game at Rockhurst with two straight losses for the first time since 2013.

That same year, the Jays lost 20-16 to the Hawklets at Adkins Stadium.

Rockhurst has gotten the better of Jefferson City in 16 of the past 18 meetings, including all the ones played in Kansas City.

The two wins the Jays have against Rockhurst in the 2000s came at home: a 55-20 win last season and a 33-30 victory in double-overtime in 2011.

The sixth-ranked Hawklets also enter tonight's game, which will start at 7:30 p.m. in Kansas City, on a two-game losing streak.

But the defeats came against second-ranked Blue Springs and top-ranked C.B.C..

The Jays have lost to C.B.C. and Battle the past two weeks by a combined 13 points.

The difference between Rockhurst's loss to C.B.C. and the Jays' defeat: points allowed.

The Hawklets only surrendered 10 points to the Cadets in a 10-3 loss while Jefferson City lost 65-59.

"First, they tackle really well," Jays coach Ted LePage said. "They go low on your legs and we call it a roll tackle. They are unbelievable at tackling. It seems like everybody on their team will roll tackle and roll some people up.

"What happens a lot of times is players begin to look down and start worrying about their legs instead of just continuing to run and the ball separates from the body, so they're roll tackling and the next guy is coming in and punching it out."

Turnovers have been the Hawklets' friend and enemy this season.

In their 24-7 loss to Blue Springs, Rockhurst turned the ball over five times. They also had five turnovers in a 26-20 win against Shawnee Mission East (Prairie Village, Kan.), but had six takeaways.

In a 14-7 victory at Blue Springs South, the Hawklets had a 6-0 advantage in turnovers.

"Secondary-wise, when the ball is in the air they are always in the right spot," LePage said. "I've never seen a team that defensively over the course of all the years we've played them, they always seem to be in the right spot and they always seem to be making a play on the ball."

Rockhurst allows less than 13 points per game while scoring 19.4. The Jays average more than 45 points per game and allow nearly 25.

LePage said the Jays need to avoid predictable downs so they can use play-action against the Hawklets.

"I think one of the things we need to do is run and play action," he said. " Where you can catch them a little bit and we have over the years, is when you can do both and play action within that and make it very strong."

If the Jays want to run the ball, they may have to find room to the outside. LePage said Rockhurst tries to keep teams from gaining yards up the middle.

"They keep the ball going sideline to sideline," he said. "It seems like they never want you to go up the field," he said. "They'll get you to bounce and when you bounce then their DBs are filling in their roll tackling."

On the other side of the ball, the Jays will try to stop Rockhurst's balanced attack.

Running back Brady McCanles ran for 50 yards on 10 carries and caught three passes for 52 yards last week against C.B.C.

Quarterbacks Chance May and Derek Green combined to go 13-for-25 for 167 yards and an interception last week.

"They rotate them in and out and they are both effective and they both both run the offense well," LePage said. "There's not really a big difference between the two. But you know one thing, they are going to try to get you to overload and they are going to try to get their quarterback on the edge on the other side and give them a run-pass option and it's very effective."

Things to watch for with Rockhurst are power runs, spread formations and plays-action bootlegs.

"Coach (Tony) Severino has always been an interesting offensive play caller because they are going to run it, then they are going to pass it when you least expect it," LePage said. "They are going to calculate how they pass the ball. They are a very good kind of a counter, and a counter boot type team."

Both the Jays and Hawklets are hoping to at least stay in their current spots in the district standings.

The Hawklets are fourth in District 4, less than two points ahead of Park Hill.

The Jays sit third in District 3, less than a point ahead of Fort Zumwalt West.

A No. 3 seed would likely set up a matchup with Rock Bridge or Troy Buchanan in the first round of district play. If the Jays are the fourth seed, they'll likely host Blue Springs South.

Notes: Starting outside linebacker JD Barnes returns after missing the past two games. He'll also be the team's long snapper. Defensive tackle Nik Williams will miss his second straight game with a concussion.

Jefferson City at Rockhurst, 7:30 p.m.

Updates on Twitter: @J_Strick_Sports

Listen live online: kwos.com or klik1240.com

Preview podcast: Jefferson City Jays Football Podcast [Rockhurst preview, Oct. 14, 2016]