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Prep Confidential

Cola War and more

Posted by: Marcus Jackson

Thursday, November 15, 2007 9:22 PM

I've spent a lot of time at both Arcola and Tuscola this week and I can tell you that each team is treating this like any other semifinal football game.

- Arcola is working on slowing Tuscola's aerial attack and the Warriors are trying to figure out how to contain Arcola's dual-threat quarterback Mark Klinger.

- Neither team is placing emphasis on the fact its playing its arch rival. Tuscola coach Stan Wienke said, "As long as we focus on Tuscola and what Tuscola does, we're going to be fine."

- You may have read about Arcola's Cameron Anderson in Thursday's News-Gazette. Great kid. He suffered an ankle injury in the quarterfinal win against Greenfield-Northwestern but is expected to in the lineup for Saturday's game. He's the team's leading rusher with 1,096 yards and 16 touchdowns. He's accomplished all that having missed two games this season because of injury. Those two games happened to be the only tow the Purple Riders have lost all season.

- Anderson is a kid that understand the tradition of Arcola football and the rivalry with Tuscola. Probably has a lot to do with the fact that his dad, Terry, played for the 1978 state championship team and the two regularly talk about Arcola football. Terry Anderson broke out the championship ring the other night and Cameron said he felt a charge go through his body when he put it on. Pretty cool stuff.

- Apologies to Tuscola public address announcer Doug McCumber. In Thursday's paper we ran a quote from McCumber and said he was a 1960 graduate of Tuscola. Doug actually graduated in 1967. Blame Rossow for that one Doug and no, you don't have to start collecting Social Security yet.

- Did you know that Saturday will be the 103rd meeting between Tuscola and Arcola, but this will be the first time they have met in the playoffs.

- Tuscola has won nine straight in the series, outscoring Arcola by an average of about 30 points per contest.

- The rivalry started back in 1896 and is the fifth oldest football rivalry in Illinois.

- The Illinois High School Coaches Association announced its All-State teams today and the area is well-represented. Here's the rundown:

Class 1A
- Hugo Martinez, OL,DL Arcola
- Derek Shay, OL,DL Cerro Gordo
- Stephen Bosch, OL, Tuscola
- John Wienke, QB, Tuscola

Class 2A
- Jordan Barney, LB, Westville
- Caleb Pratt, RB, Westville
- Jake Defauw, DE, Watseka

Class 3A
- Lukas Graves, WR/DB, St. Joseph-Ogden
- Beau Taylor, LB, Unity

Class 4A
- Andrew Brewer, RB, Mahomet-Seymour

Class 6A
- Mikel Leshoure, RB, Centennial