<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Last week Poly’s defense had their hands full, and they certainly won’t be able to take the night off against the Grant Pacers. <\/span>But while Tesoro’s O was remarkable for its completeness and the variety of sets they ran, the Pacers are much more simple: they run out of a Power I, and they run, run, run the ball. <\/span>“They’re just like us,” says Poly head coach Raul Lara. <\/span>“They run the ball tremendously, and they have some amazing athletes.”<\/span><\/p>\n Here’s who to watch for in the final game of the season.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n QB Kapeli Koniseti (#3)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Koniseti does not have the most impressive stat line of this Pacers offense (see: Devontae Booker); yet, he may be the X-Factor Poly most needs to lock down. <\/span>Koniseti only throws the ball about ten times a game—when he does, he’s as effective as Poly’s Fennell, with 17 TDs and a QB rating of 104. <\/span>But Koniseti’s ability to run (the Pacers will run some option on Saturday) is the real threat. <\/span>The QB, who Lara and Poly MLB George Daily-Lyles both compared to Jordan’s John Timu for sheer playmaking ability, is 6’3″ 215 pounds. <\/span>Timu is a quarterback\/defensive back—Koniseti is a quarterback\/linebacker, and he may be able to physically hold up better to the physicality of the Poly Wall better than most. <\/span>On the ground he’s averaging nearly ten yards per-rush, and has 777 yards and 9 TDs on the season.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n O-Linemen Alesana Laban (#72) and Ramon Williams (#77)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The Pacers’ O-Line isn’t as big as Tesoro’s, but Laban and Wiliams could play just about anywhere—they’re an average of 6’3″ 265 pounds, and have a very aggressive style that should make for some great matchups along the Poly D-Line, and perhaps into the second level. <\/span>As always in these games, pay attention to the lines—in a run-heavy contest like this one will be, whoever wins the trenches wins the trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n RB Devontae Booker (#23)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Booker is the motor of the Pacers offense. <\/span>He went from not starting at the beginning of the year to finish with nearly 2,000 yards, over ten yards per-carry, and 36 TDs. <\/span>He is tall and lean, and very explosive—Lara says, “We haven’t really seen a running back like him this year.” <\/span>James McConico of Compton may be the closest analogue—Booker’s explosiveness (“Like Melvin but not as strong,” says Lara) and shifty playmaking ability may give Poly’s defense fits at first, but it remains to be seen whether or not his 180-pound frame can withstand Poly’s punishing style. <\/span>It’s also worth noting that while Booker will probably see twenty-plus carries in this game, he’s not a pass-catching back, as he has only two grabs on the year. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n WR Darvin McCauley (#5)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n With a similar build to Booker, and the fact that he starts both ways, McCauley may end up needing to drink a lot of Gatorade before this game is over. <\/span>But in the secondary, he’s definitely going to be the guy to key on—he has over 40 yards receiving in all but four of Grant’s 14 games, and he’s only been held catchless once this season. <\/span>Like Poly, when Grant goes to their receivers, they go big—McCauley’s average catch this season goes for 19 yards.<\/span><\/p>\n With their defense, the Jackrabbits should be able to win a field position battle—what they need to prevent is one of the Pacers breaking loose and using that Sacramento speed to create a big play. <\/span>This is a team that’s scored over 40 points eight times this season—in other words, not a team you want to get into a footrace with.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last week Poly’s defense had their hands full, and they certainly won’t be able to take the night off against the Grant 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