Beef Bowl Preview 2012

Central Lyon/George Little Rock at West Lyon Central Lyon/George-Little Rock Notes: After back-to-back seasons (3-5 in 2009 and 4-5 in 2010) of sub-.500 football, the Lions put together a 7-4 campaign a year ago. It was their fifth winning season since 2004, during which they have three 12-win seasons or better, including winning the title in 2006 and finishing second in 2007 and 2008. Operating out of a Pro-Style set on offense, the Lions need to find an answer at quarterback. CL-GL-R returns one of the area's top backs in senior Josh Hunt, who was named all-district after accumulating 1,393 yards on the ground with 14 TDs. He will work well with fullback Luke Grooters. Seniors Alex Postma and Ben Starr will be the leaders upfront. Anchoring the defense will be Grooters, who had 98 tackles a year ago in earning all-district honors. The defensive front will be led by senior defensive tackle Trenton Enger, who had 66 tackles and three fumble recoveries. West Lyon Notes: One of the proudest football programs in northwest Iowa, West Lyon's hopes for back-to-back titles ended in a semifinal loss to Emmetsburg a year ago. The Wildcats have an experienced bunch back, including 21 letter winners as well as nine starters on offense and eight on defense. West Lyon, which has made 22 playoff appearances in 24 seasons and a 325-139-7 all-time record, features the Power I which will be directed by junior quarterback Brandon Snyder. (53 att., 386 yards, TD; 27-of-63, 443 yards, 8 TDs). Juniors Bennett Feuchtenberger (164 att., 803 yards, 17 TDs), Kyle Groeneweg (105 att., 497 yards, 3 TDs) and Kaleb Heyer (83 att., 524 yards, 2 TDs.) form a talented and experienced running back group. West Lyon's 4-3 defense, which allowed just 13.25 points per game last year, will be led by senior defensive end Jordan Schemmel (47T, FR, TD). and Heyer (110T, 6 TFLs, sack, 2 int., 2FR, TD). Inside slant: The game between West Lyon and Central Lyon/George-Little Rock is one of the biggest rivalries in Iowa. Throw out the records when these two teams put on the pads. Look for the game to go down to the wire. Will the Lions slow down what appears to be a strong Wildcats' rushing attack? On the flip side, will West Lyon have an answer for Josh Hunt? Who handles the offensive reins for the Lions? Coaches: Toby Lorensen, Central George/George-Little Rock, 17 years, 136-50, .731; Jay Rozenboom, West Lyon, 20th season, 194-36, .843. Series Record: A year ago, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock upset West Lyon, 16-14, scored at the end to pull off an upset. Overall, West Lyon owns a 26-25 series advantage. Since 2004, the two schools have split the eight matchups. Two years ago, West Lyon won 40-7 and also had victories over CLGLR in 2009 (28-0), 2006 (14-0) and 2005 (21-10). The Lions won last year and in 2008 (20-14), 2007 (26-14) and 2004 (15-14). Bottomline: West Lyon should be stout on offense with a deep running attack. Snyder is a solid quarterback. We think Josh Hunt will shine for the Lions but wonder if they can put slow down a potentially explosive West Lyon offensive attack.