The Iowa Conference football title will be on the line in Waverly on Saturday when Central visits Wartburg. Central is 9-0 and fourth ranked nationally in division three. The Dutch and coach Jeff McMartin take a 25-game regular season unbeaten streak into the contest. He says you don’t find yourself in this type of environment every season, but they are excited to be able to play for the conference championship.
McMartin says one of the keys will be solving a Wartburg defense that is giving up only a little more than seven points per game. He says they’ve done a great job of keeping people out of the end zone and his team will have to make some plays.
The key for Central this season has been their ability to win the close games. Five of their wins have been by a touchdown or less. McMartin says looking at the stats, you wouldn’t think they were having a good year.
McMartin says turnovers are always a key in a big game like this. The Dutch are a plus-15 in the turnover category this season.
Wartburg is 8-1 overall and the Knight’s only loss was to Augsburg College in a non-conference game. They are ranked 12th nationally. Wartburg coach Eric Koehler says both teams have worked hard to get to this point and they look forward to seeing how it sorts out. Koehler is hoping for another big effort from the defense.
He says the defense has played well all season and been very consistent, giving up only two touchdowns in the last 19 quarters. Koehler says Central is an extremely confident team and it shows. He says they’ve just found a way to win, and when Central has needed big plays to win, they’ve just made them.
Koehler says it may come down to which team runs the ball the best, as both teams have struggled with that this year. Both teams have thrown it well, so Koehler says the run and special teams will be the key.