Anything less than a win is unacceptable to Siegfried coach John Torgenson.
The Siegfried Ramblers (2-0) will keep this mantra in mind as they face the Fisher Green Wave (0-1) this Sunday.
Players from both teams anticipate an intense, hard-fought game.
"We both have a high-powered offense and good defense," said Fisher captain Tom Gorman. "I think it will be won by one big play or two, not by the offense moving up and down the field."
Such was the case last year when the Green Wave met the Ramblers in the playoffs. Fisher lost 3-0 with a successful Siegfried field goal attempt. Sunday's game will pit essentially the same teams against each other, as both are comprised of mainly juniors and seniors.
Although the Green Wave has significantly improved from last year, Gorman said several facets of their tactics remain to be perfected in the next few days of practice.
"We're working on becoming a balanced offense and have been working on our running and passing. It's easier to have a good offense if we can have the defense guessing," he said.
The game against Fisher will likely be "an uphill battle," according to Torgenson, despite their losing record. The Green Wave suffered close 3-0 loss to Sorin in Fisher's first game of the season.
"They're the best team in our division. If we can beat them, we can make the playoffs," Torgenson said. "The guys are focused-you can tell. But you can never be too good, especially playing Fisher."
Players to watch include Siegfried quarterback Bill Bingle, wide receiver Jon Kaup and defensive tackle Vince Siciliano. Fisher standouts consist of running back Kameron Chappell, safety Lee Gettler and offensive lineman Mike Beach.
The Green Wave and Ramblers are set to meet at 1p.m. Sunday at the north Riehle field.
Knott vs. St. Ed's
The Juggs of Knott Hall are hoping to give the men of St. Ed's their first loss this weekend.
Knott (1-1) struggled during an early-season loss to defending champions and archrivals Siegfried. But they dominated Zahm last weekend, proving that they are not to be written off en route to a championship.
St. Ed's squeaked by with a 6-0 victory over Carroll in their season opener. Freshman Luke Olsen intercepted a pass, and quarterback Chris Wagner scrambled for the game's only touchdown.
This weekend's matchup could be a hard-fought defensive battle, as both teams consider their defenses a strong point.
"Overall, our defensive line and our defensive backs are really good," said Knott senior captain Brian Schmutzler.
Freshman Kevin Bradley of St. Ed's mentioned the linebackers on his team have really helped make a difference this year.
"Our strength this year is our defense," he said. "Our defensive line is really good and we have good linebackers and some corners."
Knott, however, boasts an offense ready to explode and put up points. According to Schmutzler, players to watch include quarterback Ben Gilfillan and running backs John Bisanz and Joe McCarthy.
As for St. Ed's, "our offensive line could work on opening up some better holes for the running backs to get through," Bradley said. However, this year could be St. Ed's breakout season.
St. Ed's has a chance to maintain an undefeated record, but the Juggs are not to be taken lightly.
"We just need to go out and do what we did against Zahm," Schmutzler said.
The game will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at the north Riehle Field.
Zahm vs. Sorin
The hour grows later in the men's interhall season, each team is jockeying to solidify their standings, and the men of Zahm and Sorin are preparing to battle on the north Riehle field this Sunday in a game that each team needs desperately to even have a shot at reaching the playoffs this season.
Zahm captain Eric Tarnowski knows that with a 0-2 record there is great importance placed on overcoming the frustration experienced so far this season.
"It's been rough, we came out slow," Tarnowski said. "This week we're working on execution and fundamentals."
According to Tarnowski, Zahm fell behind in their previous game and simply weren't able to catch up.
Sorin lost their last game 14-6, and although they tried mixing their plays with runs and screens, it was too little too late.
Tarnoski plans on coming out fired up on Sunday so that Zahm's dreams of bringing their solid defense together with an offense that can consistently gain yards is just one step on their way to the playoffs.
"We have to pull out a win," said Tarnowski, "[This game] is kind of a must win for both teams."
As for St. Ed's, "our offensive line could work on opening up some better holes for the running backs to get through," Bradley said. However, this year could be St. Ed's breakout season.
St. Ed's has a chance to maintain an undefeated record, but the Juggs are not to be taken lightly.
"We just need to go out and do what we did against Zahm," Schmutzler said.
The game is Sunday at 2 p.m. at the north Riehle field.
