By RICK SOLEM
rick@580wkty.com
La Crosse Logan High School’s football season continues at 7 p.m. Friday, one win from a state-championship bid.
The 10-2 Rangers head to neutral site, Baraboo, Wis., to play undefeated Monona Grove (12-0) in the WIAA Division 3 semifinals.
Baraboo High is about 50 miles from Monona Grove High School, while it’s nearly 100 miles for Logan.
Listen on AM 580 WKTY or here at 580wkty.com – click on the Listen Now link. Pregame at 6:45 p.m. with Mike Kearns and Scott Erickson.
This is the farthest the Rangers have ever gotten in the playoffs. Last year, Logan’s season ended in the third round – a game short of this round – of the Division 2 field.
The Silver Eagle has made it to the third round of the Division 3 playoffs two of the last three years, but never the fourth. They lost to Mount Horeb/Barneveld 49-21 last season in the third round. Monona Grove finished 9-2 last season.
Mt. Horeb/Barneveld, of course, lost to the Rangers 35-20 last Friday. According to the Mt. Horeb/Barneveld coach, that team was a bit different team than the one that went to the semifinals last year. Coach said they were a lot bigger up front than they were this season.
Logan will have to contend with another tall and mobile quarterback this week. Monona Grove senior Tyler Blang is 6-foot-3, 178 pounds, but seems to run better than he passes – different than last week.
Blang leads the team with 947 yards rushing (7.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns. He’s also 81-for-159 (50.9 percent) for 1,342 yards (8.4 avg.) with 13 TDs and just 3 interceptions.
Toren Young, at 6-foot, 205 pounds, is their leading running back with 877 yards (6.6 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. Brock Offerdahl, at 5-10, 185, has 12 touchdowns and 674 yards rushing (6.1 avg.).
Monona Grove’s go-to receiver is 6-foot, 158-pound burner Trey Powers, who has 29 receptions for 636 yards – a whopping 21.9-yard average – and 9 TDs.