Braves hope to break into win column
Flathead (0-2) plays at Missoula Big Sky (1-1) tonight
The numbers look good for the Flathead Braves in tonight's football matchup with the Missoula Big Sky Eagles (1-1).
The Braves (0-2) have a 20-8-0 record against Big Sky, they're 8-3 over the past 11 years in the series, and they have won the last three meetings.
Flathead knocked off the Eagles 42-21 at Legends Stadium last year.
That game featured a legendary performance by then-junior quarterback Brock Osweiler - 23-for-26 for 232 yards and four touchdowns - and special teams heroics from Mike Gallagher.
That was last year.
It's not going to be worth much at kickoff tonight at Missoula County Stadium.
The Eagles have a win under their belt, having thumped Billings Senior 29-7 last week. The Braves, on the other hand, are still in search of their first victory for 2008.
Flathead is coming off a 40-22 loss to Helena High.
"They're good," Flathead coach Russell McCarvel said of the Eagles.
"They're really balanced and they do a good job."
Senior fullback Trevor Kamura (5-10, 190) rushed for 125 yards and scored two touchdowns last week.
"But they have other guys that get a lot of plays out of the backfield," McCarvel said.
Indeed they do.
Big Sky had seven players run the football last week. The Eagles gained 256 yards.
Other offensive weapons include senior quarterback Joe Petritz (6-2, 180). He was 11-for-13 for 134 yards with one touchdown throw to senior wide receiver Mike LaValley (5-10, 183).
LaValley, averaging 17 yards per catch, caught McCarvel's eye on tape.
"He's a big-play kid. He gets the ball downfield very well," the coach said.
"Their defensive line is very strong and they play the run really well," McCarvel said of the Eagle defense.
"They're a team that likes to put a lot of pressure on you and play a lot of man-to-man. They're very fundamentally sound. They run to the ball real well and they don't make a lot of mistakes to hurt themselves.
"We need to protect Brock so we can make some plays out there in the secondary," he added.
To that end, "We've had some things we've got to square away, but we had a very good week of practice. We tried to be a lot more intense this week. What we're focusing on is trying to get better play by play, day by day," he said.
The Braves concentrated on doing more best-on-best live scrimmages this past week.
As for personnel, senior wide receiver Bryant Eickert (5-8, 160) is listed as doubtful for tonight - a reason was not given - and sophomore defensive back Travis Ozegovich (5-8, 180) is out with a hamstring injury.