Reedley defense offers Merced College a stout road test

It wasn’t long ago that tonight’s trip to Reedley was supposed to have championship implications.

The Merced College and Reedley football teams were widely considered two of the more talented squads in the CCCAA American Division entering the season and were considered among the favorites for the Gold Coast Conference title.

The pair certainly looked the part the first two weeks of the season, but little has gone by plan since then with Merced College dropping four of its last five games and Reedley losing three of five. It’s left both teams in a desperate state, with any chance of a postseason game likely on the line Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

“We did what we had to do last week,” Blue Devils coach Bob Casey said. “We got a good convincing win against a team we needed to beat and got some confidence back. Reedley is a whole different breed of animal, though. They’re athletic, they run well, they’re opportunistic defensively and they have guys that can make it a long night for you if you let them.

“Plus, you throw in the fact that it’s Halloween night and other little weird elements. We have to make sure our minds are right or it could be ugly.”

Much like MC (3-4, 1-2 GCC), Reedley (4-3, 2-1) has struggled in tight ballgames. The Tigers’ three losses have come by a total of 14 points, while their average margin of victory in their four wins is almost 30 points. None of those victories came against teams with more than two wins on the season, however.

Defense has certainly led the way for the Tigers, tied for eighth in the state at 18.3 points allowed per game and sixth in the state for just 286.4 yards allowed per game. They trail only Modesto with six defensive touchdowns.

“We’re definitely going to need to take care of the ball,” Casey said. “That’s how they jumped on Cabrillo last week, getting a pick six and then a fumble return for a touchdown for their first two scores. They have some guys defensively that can really make plays.

“The key to our success is going to be the same as it’s always been. If we take care of the football and don’t take a bunch of bad penalties we expect to be just fine.”

Even in the losses, the Blue Devils have had no trouble moving the ball all season. Merced ranks seventh in the state at 472.9 yards per game. Consistently finishing those drives had been the issue entering last week. Things proved a little easier in the win over Gavilan, thanks in large part to MC only accumulating four penalties for 30 yards, as the Devils converted six of nine trips to the red zone.

“The penalties made a huge difference,” safety Jessie Sterling said. “I think we came into the game with just a lot more focus. Everybody kept their heads and things went a lot easier for us.

“I feel like it’s carried over into practice this week. We’ve just gone straight back to work getting ready for Reedley. We got some of our confidence back, but we know we’ve got a tougher opponent. We still haven’t won a game we’ve had to play four quarters, and that’s what it’s probably going to take (tonight).”

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Reedley defense offers Merced College a stout road test."