When Warner takes on Leola-Frederick at 7 tonight in Frederick, the game will match more than a pair of undefeated nine-man powers. The contest will also settle the Lake Region Conference championship and give one of the two teams a huge boost in power points for playoff positioning.
Leola-Frederick is rated fourth in Class 9AA and Warner is rated second in Class 9A.
"It doesn't matter win or lose, we're going to be in the playoffs and so are they," said Warner coach Tom Kulesa, "but I'd sure like to stay at home and play."
This game has been talked about for months and with good reason.
"Starting in August, there were a couple of dates that were circled on the calendar and this was one of them," said Leola-Frederick coach Marty Morlock.
Leola-Frederick has won at least a share of the LRC title the past three seasons. Last year, the Titans only regular season loss came at the hands of Warner.
"We definitely talk about things that happened last year," Morlock said. "We use all that past information to learn from it and motivate the kids."
The Titans feature a variety of weapons, led by Brian Sumption.
"I don't think you're going to find anybody faster," Kulesa said.
Warner will counter with Jarrod Tuszka, who is a load on offense and defense.
Morlock said he watched film where Tuszka had a half dozen tacklers on him and, "He was moving the pile. He's one of those cases where if you hit him up high, you might get punished more than punishing him."
Kulesa is quick to point out that Tuszka has a pair of blockers in front of him, Adam Ochsner and Brian Peterson, that help pave the way.
"They are the real deal," Kulesa said. "They do the dirt work. They make a lot of blocks that other people can't. They can definitely go to work."
Both squads also feature potent defenses that have given up very little this season.
"We have a mob mentality," Morlock noted, using the terms: "Hit low, wrap up, push backwards."
Tuszka spearheads the Warner defense from his linebacker spot.
"There's a reason he's going D-I," Kulesa said of the North Dakota State recruit. "It's not just his physical ability. He's a student of the game."
Both coaches understand what is at stake this evening and both know that it will take a stellar effort to walk away with a victory.
"Don't turn the football over," Kulesa said of his big key, "because if you do, it's going to be taken advantage of."
Morlock said his team needs to win the battle on the line and limit big plays.
"You shut down their offense, which a lot of teams have not done so far, they can make a defensive play for a touchdown," Morlock said. "They've got special teams as well."
Game of the Week
Who: Warner (6-0) vs. Leola-Frederick (6-0).
When: 7 tonight.
Where: Frederick.
At stake: The championship of the Lake Region Conference and precious power points for two teams headed for the playoffs.
Watch it live: The game will be live-streamed at www.aberdeennews.com/sports with Will Elkins of the American News providing commentary starting with his pre-game show 15 minutes before the start of the game. Fans can Tweet scores and updates of the games they are at with the hashtag #ANscores, so they can be seen on AberdeenNews.com.