Prep Preview: Van Buren, Cardinal left to play for pride

While half the state is squaring off Friday fighting for their playoff lives or jockeying for postseason position, Van Buren and Cardinal are meeting for none of the above.

The Warriors and Comets are playing for something arguably more important, though. When the players of Van Buren County and Eldon step on the field Friday, the high-schoolers will be playing for pride.

Both teams enter Friday on six-game slides and carry 1-7 records. Although neither team has won a Class 1A, District 6 contest, this Week 9 match-up ensures that one will walk off the field with its first.

It hasn?t been an easy season for the Warriors and Comets, by any means.

Cardinal has allowed 43.5 points per game this season ? 56 points in each of its last two games ? while only managing to score 10.4 points each game.

Cardinal is led by quarterbacks Tyler Batterson and Dakota Showman, though they will need the recent return of Tanner Chance to help out if they hope to produce yards on the ground.

Van Buren, on the other hand, features a pass-first offense unlike anything Cardinal has seen in 2011. While the Warriors have only managed 9.8 points per game, they have shown the ability to gain large chunks of yardage with Blake Scott under center.

Scott has thrown for 238 yards and ran for more than 100 yards in the past two games. His favorite target, Mitchell Bartholomew, caught four passes for 91 yards and a touchdown last week vs. Highland.

Kickoff for the long-standing rivalry game is slated for 7 p.m. in Keosauqua.