A pair of rated teams collide in non district action as class A fourth ranked Gladbrook-Reinbeck visits class 1A second rated Dike-New Hartford. Gladbrook-Reinbeck coach John Olson says there are a lot of similarities between these two teams.
“Our school colors are pretty much identical. We run and I-formation, they run and I-formation, they run a 4-front defense, we run a 4-front defense. In high school now you don’t see a lot of that pro-style offense for the most part, and we both are pretty content on using that,”Olson says.
Olson says this will be a good test and help his team get ready for district play. “We have a lot of respect for their coaches and for their players. The last year or so it wasn’t very close, but before that we went to the playoffs two years in a row against those guys and they beat us kind of on the last plays of the game,” Olson says.
Dike-New Hartford opened with a victory over Grundy Center and coach Don Betts says the competition jumps a level this week. “They’ve got some very good linemen…their tailback, the Clark kid, he has been a starter since he was a sophomore,” Betts says.
Betts says this will be a tough test for his defense and he expects a close, hard fought game. “I think the key always is turnovers or lack thereof. And mistakes,” Betts says.
(Reporting by Elwin Huffman, KOEL, Oelwein)