Division lead on the line in Walton-Delhi rivalry
It will be a continuation of one of Section 4s best football rivalries when Delhi makes the trek to Walton for a 1:30 p.m. Saturday showdown.
And not that these two area football heavyweights needed any extra motivation, but in addition to bragging rights, first place in Section 4s Division VII will also be on the line.
Its always exciting when you play them, its an important game, said Walton coach Jim Hoover, whose Warriors lost to Delhi, 12-6, last season. Our kids are going to be up for the game, and hopefully we can make it close.
Both teams enter Saturdays contest tied atop Division VII with 2-0 records. The winner will take a rather large step forward in trying to qualify for the Section 4 Class D playoffs.
Delhi (4-1), whose only loss was a 23-22 defeat in Week 3 at the hands of defending Class C state champion Sidney, is averaging nearly 39 points a game while permitting less than nine points a game.
As usual, the Bulldogs offense is keyed by the running game. Delhi is averaging over 300 yards a game on the ground, with Nate Rockefeller (645 yards) and Brenton Hood (471 yards) doing the lions share of the damage.
Delhi coach Dave Kelly, speaking from past experience, believes yards will be tougher to come by against Walton.
I think the ability to block linemen that are moving will be important. Hopefully we can handle that (against them), some years we do and some we dont, Kelly said. Most of the years we havent run the ball that well against them. If we can move it on the ground a little bit, then well be in the ballgame.
Walton (3-2), coming off a 66-21 rout of Hancock last Friday, could be bolstered by the return of some key parts of its defense.
Senior defensive back Cody MacDonald and sophomore defensive lineman Cody Endrus, both sidelined virtually the entire season with knee injuries, are both expected to play extensively Saturday.
Were awfully young, we have nine underclassmen on defense, but were getting better a little bit every week, Hoover said.