Published: November 05, 2009 08:28 am      

Clinton faces passing test from Xavier

Quarterfinal foe on win streak, likes to throw

CLINTON — There’s more reason to enjoy a homefield advantage in the high school football playoffs than just the fact that your fans don’t have to travel very far to watch you play.

As the time between games narrows, you want any advantage you can get.

The Clinton River Kings are hoping to continue their success on Coan Field as they play there one final time Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Iowa Class 4A playoffs. Cedar Rapids Xavier (9-2), which was ranked eighth in final poll of the regular season, travels to Clinton to face the 11-0 and third-ranked River Kings at 7 p.m.

“The advantage is — and this might seem trivial — that you’re not putting kids on a short schedule back on a bus,” Clinton coach Lee Camp said. “It keeps them in their comfort zone — mentally and physically.”

Playing their fourth game in 15 days, that advantage could be huge.

The River Kings will welcome any advantage they can against a Saints team that has won eight games in a row since suffering back-to-back, seven-point losses to Marion Linn-Mar and top-rated Iowa City High in Weeks 2 and 3 this fall. They avenged the first loss by whipping Linn-Mar 41-3 on Monday in a first-round game.

“They were doing things real well, and it looked like Linn-Mar struggled to get anything going,” Camp said. “It was going south for them pretty fast.”

Camp said the Saints, who opened the postseason by beating Pleasant Valley 38-21, presented some new challenges for Clinton.

“They’re really quick and aggressive on defense, and on offense they seem to pass efficiently and often, but they seem to have struggled on offense running the ball.”

Senior quarterback Joe Sayre has completed 126 of 195 passes for 1,688 yards and 13 touchdowns this fall. Pat Chizek, a junior, leads the ground attack with 862 yards.

“The game is going to come down to the pass rush,” Camp said.

The River Kings have had a solid pass rush this season, but senior defensive tackle Austin Krick is nursing a sore ankle, and that could be a factor.

For the most part, though, the River Kings are healthy heading into Friday’s game that will determine which team advances to the state semifinals next Friday in Cedar Falls.

“We have bruises on top of bruises, and some kids are out with the flu,” Camp said.

On the other hand, it won’t be difficult for the River Kings to get up for one more home game, especially when they thought they had played their final game at Coan Field in Monday’s 37-23 win against Cedar Falls. Not to mention the fact that they’re trying to advance further in the playoffs than any previous Clinton team.

“There’s a little more excitement, intensity and focus at practice,” Camp said. “It’s kind of neat to be in some uncharted areas.”