PICKFORD - On Saturday the Inland Lakes Bulldogs will square off against the Pickford Panthers with a spot in the 8-player state championship on the line. Both teams come into the matchup with one loss, both the Bulldogs and Panthers both lost to St. Ignace during the regular season. Although, the Bulldogs beat St. Ignace in the regional final last week, which is what set up this matchup.
The Indian River head coach, Travis Meyer, knows that the line of scrimmage will be crucial in the state semifinal matchup.
“St. Ignace did go into Pickford and do a really good job of controlling the line of scrimmage and being just very, very, very active. I think we looked at that and think that that’s recipe for system for some success. But the line of scrimmage is definitely where it relies or where it lies against a team like Pickford. Their offensive line engages fast, and they stay engaged and that causes problems for a lot of teams. We’re hoping to avoid that.” Said Coach Meyer.
Pickford’s head coach, Josh Rader, knows that the Bulldogs have a very powerful offense.
“Well, Inland Lakes, you know, they’ve got a lot of great athletes on that team, and they do a lot of stuff, which makes it difficult to offer a defense. So, it’s a matter of trying to keep them off the field as best we can and eliminate their big plays. They’re a good team. So, it’s going to be a tough task.
Kickoff in Pickford will be at 1 P.M. on Saturday.
