Confident Cambridge squad takes to road looking for week 11 victory at Logan Elm
The postseason began for Cambridge and head coach Ray Leek last Friday when the horn sounded on the Bobcats 31-20 loss to Buckeye 8 rival St. Clairsville.
That's because despite the loss, CHS had already clinched a postseason berth prior to kickoff; the game's outcome left to only affect positioning and a share of the Buckeye 8 South championship.
So despite the loss, Leek and company still managed to squirrel away a few positives from regular-season ending defeat that saw the Bobcats record fall to 7-3
“There was a lot on the line and it would have been nice to come out with a win,” Leek said. “But to play the No. 1 seed in the region to a close final, it was still a confidence boost. Our kids gave our all on Friday night and the goal now that we're in the playoffs is to continue on.”
Standing in the way of moving on is No. 6 seeded Logan Elm and its 8-2 record.
The Braves sport a balanced attack, with a legitimate passing game that will likely be better than anything the Bobcats' have faced this season.
Elm's two losses are two unbeaten Zane Trace, a narrow 25-13 setback in the season opener, along with a 41-20 defeat to once-beaten Bloom Carroll, a No. 5 seed in Division III.
The Braves are coming off a 34-17 win against Teays Valley in a regular-season finale in which quarterback Aaron Walters threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns. His top target? Braylen Baker, who snared four passes for 163 yards and all three TDs.
“They are more balanced than a lot of the teams we've seen as far as the pass/run ratio,” Leek said. “They still want to lean heavy on the run and will look to get that going, but they do put it in the air a lot more than the teams we've faced.”
Walters has passed for 1,672 yards with 17 TDs against six picks, completing 62 percent of his passes for an average of 14.5 yards per completion. The sophomore doesn't do a lot of running, accounting for only 17 yards.
Baker, a 6-foot senior, is his favorite target, totaling 653 yards and 10 touchdowns.
When the Braves elect to run, Blayton Reid has been more than capable, averaging 133 yards a game while finding the end zone 15 times.
Leek did note that skill and size-wise, the Braves and Bobcats share a similar makeup.
“I think overall, we're kind of a similar team,” Leek said. “Same style of offense, same type of kids size wise and our athletes match up well with theirs. I think it should be a good matchup. We're heading out there Friday night and looking to pull off the upset.”
Leek did notice when watching film that the Braves like to load up to take away a team's running attack.
Now, there's no forcing Cambridge to throw with three-year starter Caden Moore leading a pass-happy offense capable of scoring quickly. That being said, Leek isn't looking for his team to be one-dimensional either. But he knows what opportunities could be available if the Braves sell out against the ground game.
“They keep guys in the box and want to take away the run, and if they stick with that, we could have a pretty good night with Caden, getting him in space and making plays,” Leek said. “Defensively, it comes down to stopping the run, trying to get pressure on the QB and making them make mistakes through the air.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Confident Cambridge squad takes to road looking for week 11 victory at Logan Elm
