Morningside coach Steve Ryan
The weather could be a factor on Saturday when Morningside hosts Tabor College in the opening round of the NAIA Playoffs. The forecast for Sioux City calls for a chance of snow on Friday and the high on Saturday in the 30s.
“As much as anything we need to get our guys comfortable with the cold weather and we have not been into that situation as of yet”, said Morningside coach Steve Ryan. “In the past we have played a number of snow and cold weather games and I hope our guys are ready for it.”
Morningside is ranked fifth in the NAIA Poll and is 9-1 after winning the Great Plains Conference championship. This is the Mustangs’ 13th straight trip to the playoffs and Ryan says several areas get magnified in the postseason.
“Number one is just turnovers and your ability to take care of the ball and to create turnovers. Everyone is just faster in the playoffs and they hit you from different angles and you have got to be able to take care of the football. Number two is momentum. It gets going either for you or against you and you have got to do what you can to get it and keep it.”
This is the second straight year these teams have met in the playoffs after Morningside rolled to a 51-6 win over Tabor in the quarterfinal round in 2015.