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    • Key for Inland Lakes football in playoff matchup against Blanchard Montabella
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    Key for Inland Lakes football in playoff matchup against Blanchard Montabella

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    INDIAN RIVER – It’s time for Inland Lakes football.

    The mission? Return to Marquette and finish the job.

    The Bulldogs (9-0) will look to take their first step toward that goal when they host Blanchard Montabella (6-3) in an MHSAA 8-Player Division 1 Regional semifinal at Shanley Field on Friday at 7 p.m.

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    Here are some keys for inland lakes:

    Foot on the pedal

    The Bulldogs don’t need anyone to tell them this, but getting off to a quick start and keeping their foot on the gas is key, especially against an opponent they don’t know much about. The Mustangs may have three losses, but Inland Lakes will take any opponent seriously.

    To get to the next round, a fast start would be ideal for the Bulldogs, who have offensive superstars in Aidan Fenstermaker and Andre Bradford as well as a dominant line consisting of Avery Enos, Chris Foldenauer and Jack Wilson.

    Last week, Inland Lakes got off to a rough start against Gaylord St. Mary until they broke through and pulled away in the second half. This week they want to start better, build a lead and get a win.

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    The defense must remain aggressive

    As much as there is talk about the Bulldogs’ offense, their defense has played at an elite level all season. When IL’s offense struggled in the first half against St. Mary’s, the defense rose to the occasion, made big plays and wore down the Snowbirds for another Ski Valley title.

    Defensive leaders of late have been DJ Buhr, Wyatt Hanel, Mitch Crawford and Bradford, Bulldogs capable of making game-changing plays. If the defense calls the shots early on Friday, be on your guard.

    Don’t overlook anyone

    As I’ve mentioned many times, Inland Lakes never seems to have a problem with not taking an opponent seriously. Whether Martin is in the state championship or one of the worst teams in the Ski Valley Conference, the Bulldogs always carry themselves in a businesslike manner.

    When the Mustangs come to town, the Bulldogs need to have the mentality of not thinking about possible matchups, which is what we sportswriters tend to do.

    If it wins Friday, Inland Lakes will likely travel to its next postseason game when it travels to Alcona for a rematch of the teams that played last year. Based on playoff points, the Tigers (8-1) would be hosts. Last season, the Bulldogs earned a 22-6 first-round victory on a rainy night at Shanley Field.

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    A rematch with Alcona sounds epic, but the Bulldogs understand they have to take it one game at a time if they want to make another magical playoff run like last November.

    Let’s see what happens on Friday.

    WHO

    Blanchard Montabella (6-3). Inland Lakes (9-0)

    WHAT

    MHSAA 8-Player Division 1 Football Playoff Regional Semifinals

    WHEN

    Friday, November 1st, 7 p.m

    WHERE

    Shanley Field, Indian River

    Contact Sports Editor Jared Greenleaf at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

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    Caradoc Wyn
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