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Word out of Smith Center High School is that the unbeaten Redmen are not as unconquerable as the previous five seasons in which they won the Class 2A state football championship.
Still, Smith Center (10-0) is top-ranked, unbeaten and currently maintaining the longest winning streak in the nation among 11-man teams at 77 games.
"If Coach (Roger) Barta says they're not as good, I'm sure he's right," Moshier said. "But still, what's not as good?
"It's Smith Center. They're a great football team. Seventy-seven wins in a row ... the program itself speaks volumes for what all of the kids and Coach Barta and his coaching staff have accomplished over the many years."
Meade (11-0) travels to Smith Center tonight — the home of Barta’s belly-bone offense — for a 6 o'clock kickoff. The Buffaloes know it will be a Hurculean task against the same team that ended their season last year with a xx-xx victory.
"They're still the same," Moshier said. "We don't look at them at any different way. This is the pinnacle of 2A football and we get a chance to go up and do it at their place.
"There have been tons of teams that have come in there and tried to pull off the unimaginable and come away short. For us, it's just a great opportunity to go up there and see what's going to happen."
Quarterback Dakota Benear led the Buffaloes with 118 rushing yards last Saturday during a second-round 48-6 victory at home over St. Francis.
The Buffaloes had a number of sustained drives in that game, and will have to put together several to have a chance against the Redmen.
"You've got to take the air out of the ball and you've got to have long, sustained drives," Moshier said. "I really think it's going to take four touchdowns (to beat Smith Center).
"I don't think anybody's done that to them in a long, long time. We've got to catch some breaks and we've got create some breaks."
Meade has had a running-backs-by-committee all season, and it also showcases a strong special-teams unit, most notably punt return.
"We have some advantages, some strengths, I guess, in the special-teams departments," Moshier said. "We're going to have exploit that, and get into our passing and running games."
Benear leads the Buffs with 824 yards in 151 carries and has scored 17 touchdowns.
The committee of backs include: Jaden Friesen (119 carries for 767 yards and 10 touchdowns), Kellan Hernandez (99 carries for 593 yards and seven scores), Albert Davis (77 carries for 532 yards and 11 TDs) and Trevin Wiens (36 carries for 407 yards and five TDs).
Smith Center averages 356.6 yards per game and rarely passes, if at all.
The Redmen average only 10.9 yards passing per game.
"They're so good at every position,” Moshier said. “They just keep reloading. That's the whole thing that boggles our minds, too, when we watch the film. There's not a whole lot of change from year-to-year. Different bodies and same result."
Colt Rogers has rushed for 1,427 yards in 150 carries and scored 19 touchdowns.
“No. 3, he's a three-year starter for them and he's a stick of dynamite," Moshier said of Rogers. "He's 5-foot-5 and 150 (pounds).
“He has absolutely the quickest feet and probably the strongest kid in State of Kansas, pound-for-pound. He is a multiple state champion wrestler and of course, multiple state champion football player. He's unbelievable."
Matt Atwood has 883 yards in 166 carries and has scored 15 touchdowns, providing the second part of Smith Centers’ one-two punch.
Word out of Smith Center High School is that the unbeaten Redmen are not as unconquerable as the previous five seasons in which they won the Class 2A state football championship.
Still, Smith Center (10-0) is top-ranked, unbeaten and currently maintaining the longest winning streak in the nation among 11-man teams at 77 games.
"If Coach (Roger) Barta says they're not as good, I'm sure he's right," Moshier said. "But still, what's not as good?
"It's Smith Center. They're a great football team. Seventy-seven wins in a row ... the program itself speaks volumes for what all of the kids and Coach Barta and his coaching staff have accomplished over the many years."
Meade (11-0) travels to Smith Center tonight — the home of Barta’s belly-bone offense — for a 6 o'clock kickoff. The Buffaloes know it will be a Hurculean task against the same team that ended their season last year with a xx-xx victory.
"They're still the same," Moshier said. "We don't look at them at any different way. This is the pinnacle of 2A football and we get a chance to go up and do it at their place.
"There have been tons of teams that have come in there and tried to pull off the unimaginable and come away short. For us, it's just a great opportunity to go up there and see what's going to happen."
Quarterback Dakota Benear led the Buffaloes with 118 rushing yards last Saturday during a second-round 48-6 victory at home over St. Francis.
The Buffaloes had a number of sustained drives in that game, and will have to put together several to have a chance against the Redmen.
"You've got to take the air out of the ball and you've got to have long, sustained drives," Moshier said. "I really think it's going to take four touchdowns (to beat Smith Center).
"I don't think anybody's done that to them in a long, long time. We've got to catch some breaks and we've got create some breaks."
Meade has had a running-backs-by-committee all season, and it also showcases a strong special-teams unit, most notably punt return.
"We have some advantages, some strengths, I guess, in the special-teams departments," Moshier said. "We're going to have exploit that, and get into our passing and running games."
Benear leads the Buffs with 824 yards in 151 carries and has scored 17 touchdowns.
The committee of backs include: Jaden Friesen (119 carries for 767 yards and 10 touchdowns), Kellan Hernandez (99 carries for 593 yards and seven scores), Albert Davis (77 carries for 532 yards and 11 TDs) and Trevin Wiens (36 carries for 407 yards and five TDs).
Smith Center averages 356.6 yards per game and rarely passes, if at all.
The Redmen average only 10.9 yards passing per game.
"They're so good at every position,” Moshier said. “They just keep reloading. That's the whole thing that boggles our minds, too, when we watch the film. There's not a whole lot of change from year-to-year. Different bodies and same result."
Colt Rogers has rushed for 1,427 yards in 150 carries and scored 19 touchdowns.
“No. 3, he's a three-year starter for them and he's a stick of dynamite," Moshier said of Rogers. "He's 5-foot-5 and 150 (pounds).
“He has absolutely the quickest feet and probably the strongest kid in State of Kansas, pound-for-pound. He is a multiple state champion wrestler and of course, multiple state champion football player. He's unbelievable."
Matt Atwood has 883 yards in 166 carries and has scored 15 touchdowns, providing the second part of Smith Centers’ one-two punch.
