Balanced offense key for Trojans in Week 4

Balance and consistency.

It might sound rather simple, but if the Trojans are to maintain their recent string of success against Fort Madison Friday, a balanced offense and greater consistency will be a good place to start.

?I would like to see us take advantage of our short passing game and look for balance offensively as far as running the football,? said Fairfield head coach Mike Schenck.

A balanced offense starts with senior tailback Zach Vivier, who has rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns in 2011, as well as up-and-coming junior Justin Hammes. Hammes has seen his workload increase every Friday and should remain an important cog in the offense after a breakout game last week.

Of course, as quarterback Dillon Fry goes, so goes the offense. The junior signal caller continues to make strides weekly in both the passing game and on the ground, and most recently rushed for more than 100 yards, threw for another 200-plus and tallied three touchdowns vs. rival Mount Pleasant.

Another one of Fairfield?s skill-position players, senior wideout Davis Lowenberg, has consistently been Fry?s go-to target. Lowenberg has hauled in half of Fry?s completed passes on the year, including five catches for 112 yards last week. Corbin Harwood and Spencer Peterman also will be in the mix for receptions.

However, while the Trojans seem to be making leaps and bounds each week, don?t expect Schenck and the Trojans to be idle.

?We need to continue to make improvement, both offensively and defensively,? Schenck said. ?We had a good game last week offensively, and now we need to be consistent and be able to do that week after week.?

The team?s search for improvement was momentarily derailed this week when the team was hit hard by an unknown illness, described as ?something between a cold and the flu.?

?We had nine kids missing on Monday, seven more missing on Tuesday, so we?re just getting all our kids back now,? explained Schenck. ?It?s been a disruption to practice and preparation for Fort Madison more than anything else.?

All players should be ready to go Friday, however.

As for Fort Madison, the Bloodhounds? option offense will take the field with a major focus on ball control. If the Bloodhounds hope to contend with Fairfield, they will need to limit their mistakes; the team coughed up four fumbles in a 41-6 loss last week vs. Keokuk.

?They?re a team that likes to run the football at you and control the ball and limit your possessions,? said Schenck. ?They?re pretty well-balanced in their backfield, as well.?

Fort Madison?s Landon Dohman and Ben Votroubek have shared time at fullback, while the Bloodhounds also have four capable slotbacks to choose from, including Dillion Herren, Brady Petry, Alex Hayes and Pablo Sandoval. Even so, the Bloodhounds? rushing game has strugged to get going in the first three weeks, and Hayes is the leading rusher with 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Also in the backfield for Fort Madison, senior quarterback Jesse Ross has thrown the ball just 30 times in three games and is in his first year as starter.

Last season when the two teams met, the Trojans? defense stifled the Bloodhounds and Fairfield walked away with a 22-3 victory. Over the years, it has been a matchup Fairfield has dominated.

If the Trojans can get Fort Madison into passing situations and keep the Bloodhounds from controlling the football, there?s little reason to believe the trend will reverse anytime soon.

Kickoff for the Class 3A, District 7 contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Fairfield.