A young version of the long-time rivalry between Morningside and Briar Cliff is played out this weekend when the schools meet this weekend on the football field for the second time. Morningside is ranked 20th in the latest NAIA top 25 after the Mustangs suffered their first loss of the season to Midland Lutheran last weekend. In its second season of varsity football Briar Cliff is off to a surprising 2-1 start and coach Dick Strittmatter says this rivalry has helped increase interest in the program. He says it’s been good for the team, the school and Sioux City. Strittmatter says while happy with the two wins he has been in coaching long enough to know the program has a ways to go. He says he knows what they have to do and says they can’t look ahead beyond Morningside. Since the program began Strittmatter has concentrated defense and it is that unit that has made the Chargers competetive. He says offense starts out slowly anyway, especially when putting a new team together. Morningside won the first-ever meeting a year ago 21-3.
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