Hartford Indian Football 2011

Hartford (6-3) @ Constantine (7-2)

Game Time: 1:00 PM; Saturday, October 29, 2011

Game Location: Sweetland Stadium

Head-to-Head: Constantine leads 2-0

By Web Staff
October 29, 2011

   It's the playoffs, Indian fans. Get used to me saying this: it's one and done. You win, you go one more round. You lose, you're done.
   It's time for Hartford Indian Football to REALLY begin.
   This Saturday afternoon, in the trenches of Sweetland Stadium, the 6-3 Hartford Indians and the 7-2 Constantine Falcons will renew their playoff "rivalry". Constantine and Hartford have met two previous times, Constantine has won both. Hartford will look to break into the win column against them on Saturday, with kickoff set for 1:00 PM.

TEAMS AT A GLANCE

Record:	6-3	7-2
Win %:	.667	.778
Scored:	319	301
Allowed:	149	183
Streak:	Lost 1	Won 6

The Indians come into the playoffs at 6-3 overall and 2-3 in the SAC South Division. They also come in losers of three of five, ending the season last Friday night with a 28-14 loss to rival Watervliet on the road. The Indians, the major underdogs, played great in the loss, hanging around all night.
The Indians got most of their yards on the ground, where Gareth MacMillan had seventy yards and two touchdowns. Sergio Perez had 48 yards rushing and David Mireles added 38 yards. The Indians also added 68 yards passing from Luke Traver, as well.

   Jimmy Mullins had two of the four pass completions that Traver threw for 20 yards.
   The Indians, defensively, held ground all night using many tacklers. No one was over ten tackles. John Scherer had eight tackles, Zach Clauser six and Tony Kucharski five with an interception to lead Hartford.
   The Indians next opponent and first of the postseason comes in the form of a usual foe come playoff time, Constantine. The Falcons are in the playoffs, again, somewhere they have been every year since 1999.
   This years Falcons aren't as "strong" as previous teams they've had, but they are a resilient club. Starting 1-2, Constantine ran the table, finishing 7-2 and tying for second in the Kalamazoo Valley Association conference race. During their six game run, they have beaten Kalamazoo Hackett, Parchment, Galesburg-Augusta, Kalamazoo Christian, Delton-Kellogg and, most recently, Schoolcraft.
   Remember, Constantine is a two-time state semifinalist, losing in 2009 and 2010 to Monroe Saint Mary Catholic Central.
   The Falcons run their patented "Wing-T" offense, which means fans Saturday will most certainly see a lot of running. The Falcons are led rushing by Payton White, a junior, leads his team rushing with 821 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns (he's 6-3 and 230 pounds by the way), junior Ben Mallo adds 600 yards and seven touchdowns and junior Jeff Steiner has rushed for 441 yards and five touchdowns, as well.
   Constantine, however, has shown they can throw the ball, too. Junior quarterback Tommy Reed has thrown for 565 yards and eight touchdown, but also adds five interceptions. He has two favored targets: Brandon Edwards (eight receptions and 182 yards with three touchdowns) and Justin Bontrager (seven receptions, 159 yards and two touchdowns).
   The defense, without stats to prove it, has been solid during the six game winning streak, led by Ben Barber, John Hicks, Chase Niblock and Jeff Steiner. They pose a formidable presence on the line, too.
   It's playoff time, Hartford. It's a Saturday afternoon, what else is there to do in Hartford on Saturday on the final Saturday of October? Take a trip to Constantine to cheer on the Indians!

NOTES: Shawn Griffith of Constantine is 2-0 against Dave Janicki, winning 33-28 in 2007 and 27-14 in 2008 over Hartford. Griffith is in his seventh season coaching Constantine, where he is current 67-14 as the head coach. Constantine comes in winning six straight games after starting the season 1-2. The winner of this Saturday's game will face the winner of the other district matchup between Schoolcraft and Cassopolis, set for Friday night at 7:00 PM at Schoolcraft. Hartford has pulled up six players from the 4-3 Junior Varsity squad for the playoffs. The weather forecast is dry, but cool with clouds and sun alternating during the day. Temperatures during the game will be right around fifty degrees, so bring the coat or a blanket to stay warm. There is also around a ten-twenty percent chance of rain.