Prep Preview: Pekin looking no further than Week 9

The Pekin football team has all but clinched the No. 3 spot in 1A District 6, but the Panthers have all the motivation they need headed into Friday?s match-up with Highland.

?We?re going into this game just like we did against Sigourney [in Week 1],? said Pekin head coach Joe Donovan. ?We?re not approaching it any different than we would any other week. Our players want to finish the year strong and at 5-4.?

Pekin is coming off a 52-13 loss last Friday to the No. 1 team in the district, Alburnett. The loss ensured the Panthers would end up no higher than third in the district and stopped a three-game win streak where they out-scored opponents 147-12.

Even so, reports from earlier this week indicate it has been a positive few days at practice for the Pekin football team.

?[The loss] is just a reality check,? said Donovan. ?We just have to get back to taking care of the things that we can control: taking care of the football, playing fundamental football and execution on offense.?

Execution on offense begins with quarterback Graham Wittrock, who is third in District 6 in passing yards (767). He?ll be joined in the backfield by running back Quentin Garrels, who managed to gain 177 yards against a stingy Alburnett defense in Week 8. The Panthers also have a rare special team?s threat in Bryce Sines and will look for creative ways to get the football in the senior?s hands.

Defensively, Pekin faces a Highland offense that uses a variety of offensive schemes, including the spread and power I, and they pass more often than any other team in the district.

Quarterback Jake Tate?s 183 pass attempts place him at the top of the district with 1,216 passing yards, but the passes have come with 22 interceptions. Tate also has a stable of weapons to throw to, including four wideouts who are in the top 10 in the district in receiving yards.

But the Huskies are far more than just a passing team.

Derrick Stewart leads the Highland rushing attack with 498 yards and seven touchdowns, and Trey Brenneman has gained 206 yards on the ground.

?They?re balanced as far as distribution of run to pass,? Donovan said. ?They?re not someone we can take lightly. We?ll have to be on our toes and more disciplined.?

On defense, Highland also features the top tackler in the district, the small yet powerful linebacker Jesse Hahn. The Huskies like to send Hahn on blitzing assignments, and for good reason. The senior leads the district in tackles for loss with 18 and sacks with seven.

The Panthers should be able to counter Hahn with a strong group of blockers that includes Derek Morales, Bailey Donovan and Tater Clubb.

The final regular season game for Pekin is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Riverside.