Midway traveled to Cosby last week and stunned the home crowd by tallying 46 points with a Raven-less offense. This week, the Greenwaves will return to a mountain scene and a familiar reservation to face the unbeaten…the Tribe of U.S. Highway 27. In the regular season meeting, the Oneida Indians took an early lead and stood strong against every Midway comeback attempt.
Will the Midway offensive line force a quick & powerful Oneida defense backwards? Will the Midway passing game be successful? Are our message board friends from Oneida on the coacht payroll? Should they be?
For Midway to win, the answer to at least half of those questions will need to be yes. The Boys from the South will need to play their best game of the year…x2…to continue post-season play and cause sleepless nights in Oneida.
Will they do it? We’ll know Friday night. Can they do it? We’ll turn to our non-experts of the SORSN Pick Panel to see what they think….
“Emory’s keys to the game:
1. Make the Indians play from behind
2. Protect the ball
3. Adjust to their adjustments (don’t continue something if it is not working or doesn’t continue to work-this is what Greenback did not do in their game against the Indians)
4. Play like this is the last game (because it might be)
Oneida is not playing their “best” ball of the season right now. They can be stopped. I feel that the Waves have overcome too much to let this one go. This is not revenge against Oneida; this is redemption of the Green Team. Waves win in a thrilling game.”
Ralton Emory
“Shame on me for not believing…It’s hard to beat a team twice in one season. Plus, the Waves have hit a stride in the post season. Gonna go with the Wave boys in an electric rematch…”
Amber Johnson
“I don’t know if I have ever been anymore proud of a Greenwave team than I was at Cosby last Friday night. The Green team had been left for dead after all the events of the last 3 or 4 weeks but Coach Mo and his assistances have done a great job and the team responded and showed that their spirit was not broke. There is still a lot of Green pride left in these remaining players and it showed last Friday night.
Quinton had a great game on both sides of the ball, threw 2 beautiful TD passes to Hicks and Wakon. Josh “the little drummer boy” Hicks had the game of a lifetime with an exciting one handed catch for a TD early in the game. Josh also put the finishing touch on a great Midway win with a flat back hit to the Cosby kick returner. One of the hardest hits of the year. Blasko has been the man on defense all year and made the play of the game causing the fumble that Quinton took 50 yards for a TD. What more can be said about Ray-Ray. This kid is unbelievable. With the pounding Ray has took this year and especially the last 3 games, it’s a wonder he can walk but Ray still runs like it is the 1st game of the year. Ray we love ya Man!
This week will be a whole lot tougher. Oneida will be looking to extend their great season.
Most people know I don’t like to pick against the Green and I won’t start now. I believe the greens defense will tighten up this week and the offense will continue to put up points, wouldn’t it be nice to get another shot at Greenback!!! Go big Green”
Barry Narramore
“M-I-D-W-A-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wins this one by 3 points. Nuff said.”
Jeff Hill
“Congratulations on a great playoff win by the Green last week. The hard work and dedication paid off for the players and coaching staff from the SOR and everyone should feel plenty proud.
A very good Oneida team will be tough to beat on their home field this week in round 2, but don’t count out the Green. Pulling big for the Wave, but I think Oneida wins this one at home.”
Randy Rose
“Coach CF Moser’s Big Green Ground Machine is on the road again this week for the redeux version of the matchup with Tony Lamberts perfect Oneida Indians. Moser’s team, minus some key ingredients, played the game of their lives last week in a major upset of the Cosby Mountain Dews. Oneida, perfect on the season and humming smoothly, are looking to make their second victories of the year against region rivals Midway and Greenback.
Midway (8-3) showed some serious intestinal fortitude last week in their trip to the mountain and advanced out of the number three playoff hole that they found themselves in the region. After all Coach Moser’s group has been through in recent weeks, most teams would have packed it in and said see you next year (see Vols, TN, Philip Fulmer, well maybe not Fulmer) but Coach Moser’s group, stated emphatically “not so fast my friend”. R2 Robinson literally took this team on his broad shoulders last week and carried the Waves into the second round. Guts, determination, desire, heart, call it what you will, but the Midway Greenwaves showed a heck of a lot of it last week. A sorsn.com salute to the coaches and the players for simply a great effort last Friday night.
As for Oneida (11-0), well simply put once again, these Indians are good. The tribal band comes off an absolute scalping of the school in the sky, Cloudland. This team is a strong, tough, disciplined unit that has swept its way through the regular season without a blemish. The Oneida defensive unit is one of the stingier groups around and is led by Sexton, Buttram and Terry. The Oneida defense gives up an average of just nine points a game. Oneida’s offense has turned to a grind it out, punishing game plan that spreads the pigskin around to Lewallen, Slaven and Hutson. Oneida doesn’t throw the ball much because they generally do not have to. The Indians are content to lets its defense and running game do most of the work, week after week, which could come back to haunt them in a couple weeks.
With Oneida on a roll and Midway a bit shorthanded, all signs points to a second round mismatch. Oneida is sure to focus on shutting down the R man, while trying to wear down the Midway defense with a pounding running attack. Midway has to stay in the ballgame early and keep field position on their side. Coach Moser’s team must play another high intensity, mistake free ball game to compete.
So the picks an easy one correct? Well first a couple things here. The Oneida team is sure to be a bit distracted this week by Coach Lamberts pending departure at the end of this season to become the (pick one): A) Head Coach at Oak Ridge High School B) Head Coach