Unbeaten SBL rolling into state quarterfinal, eyeing third straight UNI Dome trip

(Sergeant Bluff) -- For the third straight year, Sergeant Bluff-Luton football is among the final eight teams in their respective class.

The Warriors' resiliency has been on display throughout the season. Despite dealing with their fair share of injuries, No. 2 seeded Sergeant Bluff-Luton is 10-0 as they prepare for a Class 4A quarterfinal matchup with Glenwood on Friday, with a chance to punch their ticket to a third straight state semifinal.

"It's obviously good to still be playing in November," Sergeant Bluff-Luton Head Coach Justin Smith told KMA Sports. "The kids work really hard to put themselves in a position to play games like this late in the year. I'm really happy for our kids to have another opportunity at this."

The Warriors opened their postseason last week with a dominant 30-3 win over Le Mars. Sergeant Bluff-Luton racked up 273 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while averaging over six yards per carry, led by senior Emmet Kneifl, who tallied 93 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.

"We got off to a bit of a slow start, but our guys responded and took care of business after that," said Smith. "It's always hard to beat a team twice, because you never know what their adjustments or changes are going to be."

Meanwhile, after giving up a field goal in the opening quarter, the Warriors held Le Mars to just 134 total yards of offense and pitched a shutout through the final three quarters.

"Our guys were playing their responsibilities, reading their keys, and getting downhill," said Smith. "We got some really good play from our defensive backs in coverage, which allowed our guys up front to be really aggressive."

Now, the Warriors prepare to face another familiar opponent in the Glenwood Rams. The Rams have hit their stride late in the season and are on a five-game win streak--including their 30-28 win over Spencer last week to open their playoff run. The Warriors came out on top when the two teams met on September 18--27-13.

Glenwood has leaned on their rushing game this season, led by Haze Stephens (100 carries, 751 yards, 11 TDs) and Joe Leick (99 carries, 699 yards, and 7 TDs). Stephens has also stepped in at quarterback the last five weeks, completing 27 of his 57 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Myles Longmeyer is the top receiving threat for the Rams, catching 45 passes this season for 787 yards and seven touchdowns.

"I think it's good that the first time we played was so long ago, because Glenwood is a lot different team and I think they're a lot better offensively and defensively right now," said Smith. "It's good for our kids to reset and look at this like a completely different opponent from who we played the first time."

The Warriors ran for 222 yards and three scores in the win over Glenwood earlier this year. But it was also a one-possession game heading into the final quarter. Smith says Friday will come down to limiting their mistakes.

"Football always comes down to blocking and tackling," said Smith. "You can have all the fancy formations and motions and draw up as many plays as you want to on the board, but it comes down to execution."

Ethan Hewett and John Lee will have the call of Glenwood/SBL on the KMAX-Stream Friday night.

Unbeaten SBL rolling into state quarterfinal, eyeing third straight UNI Dome trip

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