Comets traveling to Wilton

Cardinal head coach Adam Hadenfelt thought his players needed to be ?perfect? to stay in last?s week game against top-ranked Iowa City Regina.

With a matchup against district opponent Wilton (4-1) in Week 6, the Comets (3-2) will need to be near perfect once more.

?Wilton is a complete football team, and we?ll have to be at our best against them,? said Hadenfelt. ?They have set themselves up to be exactly where they need to be in the district race.?

Wilton is among the frontrunners in Class 1A District 6 with a 3-0 record in district play. So far in 2012, they have outscored their opponents 163-89. Most recently, Wilton beat Eddyville-Blakesburg 26-14 in Week 5.

The team is paced on offense by its passing attack led by junior quarterback Tyler Hetzler, who has thrown for 1,035 yards and nine touchdowns to just four interceptions in 2012. Leading receivers include Seth Kaufmann and Koy Snider, who have combined for 692 yards and seven scores.

?They?ll spread it out with trips and shotgun and make us defend east to west as well as north to south,? Hadenfelt said. ?It?s a good challenge for us defensively. We?ll need to make sure we?re getting guys to the football and they?re doing their job.?

The Comets will counter with their own solid passing game led by senior Dakota Showman, who is 19-for-40 for 328 yards, and rushing attack featuring senior Jonathan Pedersen. The tailback has gained 247 yards on 4.8 yards per carry, and the Comets will need another big day from their back if they hope to contend.

?We need to establish the run to be competitive,? Hadenfelt said. ?It allows us to dictate the tempo of the game, and we need to get back to that. We need to understand a 3- or 4-yard run is a good play, and that?ll give us a chance to put the ball in the end zone.?

Hadenfelt also will be looking for better decisions from Showman, as well as better protection out of Showman?s offensive line.

?We need to trust our reads and take what the defense is giving us,? he added.

Friday?s kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Wilton.