Eagle team plays in sectional rematch

Thursday, October 30, 2014
Kyle Shaffer lowers his shoulders to meat a Lutheran defender in this season's scrimmage on Aug. 15. (Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT)

The Eagles are the last team playing this fall in Putnam County and South Putnam fans are well familiar with the Lutheran team that they'll be facing tonight.

Not only is this the second year in a row that South will play for a sectional win against the Saints, but the Lutheran coach, Dave Pasch, is familiar with the style of play he's likely to see this Friday.

Pasch coached football at North Putnam from 2002-07, leading the Cougars to a regional championship in 2006.

"I may be telling coach Pasch's age a little bit," Eagle coach Nathan Aker said. "He was the coach at North Putnam whenever I was playing there. I got hooked up with Coach Burgess and we got to coach against each other. Coaches in the offseason are around and about together.

"I have a ton of respect for coach Pasch. He's done a lot for me as a coach. It's kind of cool when you get to coach against those guys and there is kind of that rivalry."

The two teams met earlier this season when Lutheran came to Wildman Field to scrimmage South Putnam.

"They've been our scrimmage partner for the last two years and we wondered how that would go when we moved into the same sectional," Aker said. "The players have a mutual respect for each other. Everybody feels like they know them a bit more. We had a great ballgame there last year that we were fortunate enough to come out on top."

The Eagles have come out on top this season, beating every one of their conference rivals to earn the WCC championship title. But the year was full of challenges and South Putnam overcame losing its opening three games to win six out of its next seven.

With the regional in sight, the Eagles will be steady in their approach to try and keep a unified assault on opposing teams.

"Our big focus this week has been 'together.' That's been our thing all year," Aker said. "It's been how tight we can get this group. We'd like to think that we aren't the same football team we were 10 weeks ago. We just try to adjust and modify. We just keep plugging away."

Aker said his coaching staff is keeping busy and the players are getting the messages and translating them to the football field.

"These kids come to work every day," Aker said. "They are ready to go. They are really receptive to the changes if we have to make an adjustment. They just buy in. I've got hundreds of examples of kids playing in a different spot and getting reps somewhere they don't normally do that. Whatever we have asked of them they've stepped up and done it all year."

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