RMFL GAME PREVIEW CAPSULE
Dixie Rebels (7-0) at Wasatch Revolution (6-1)
Today at 4 p.m., at Layton Christian Academy, Layton, UT
Previous Meeting: Dixie Rebels 14, Wasatch Revolution 10 (April 5, Dixie defense holds in last minute of the opening game of season)
REBELS
Head Coach: Dale Stott
Offense: Spread
Defense: Pro 4-3, Nickel
PPG: 37.4
PAPG: 16.0
Last Game: Beat Utah Cobras 34-6 last Saturday
Players to watch: Misi Tupe continues to lead the league in rushing, but has had significant help of late from Rimo Mapu, Sione Tapuosi and Prentiss Miller. The offensive line continue to dominate the line of scrimmage. The Rebels still rarely pass, but when they do it usually goes for big yardage. The recipients of those big plays have usually been wide receivers Brennan Adams and Tanner Wood and tight end Jordan Loo. The defense has been stellar all season. Wayne Alofipo has anchored the line. Linebackers Doug Roberts and Kaleo Teriipaia have plugged the holes. The secondary is led by Shawn Mitchell and Andrew Misa in interceptions. The stellar kicker, Eric Brooksby, had his first miss of the season last week when his 43-yard field goal try missed left. He is still perfect on PAT’s 33 for 33.
Trend: The Rebels have dominated their last two games and the sideline has been uncharacteristically lighthearted as Dixie took an early lead and never looked back. Tonight’s game will probably reflect the earlier game played by these teams. Tough defense with every possession considered valuable. Look for Dixie to travel well as this game carries a lot of meaning for both clubs.
REVOLUTION
Head Coach: Jeremy Williams
Offense: Spread
Defense: 3-4
PPG: 32.3
PAPG: 17.1
Last Game: Beat the Rocky Mountain Mudd Ducks 45-8
Players to watch: The Rev are captained by quarterback Charlie Peterson, who has passed for 1,821 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Peterson does lead the league in interceptions with 10 in seven games. His favorite receivers have been Bryant Eteuati (43 catches, 753 yards) and Joe Mapson (32-533). Johnny Gray leads the team in rushing and has scored seven TDs, though he averages just seven carries and 31 yards a game. Defensively, Wasatch is led by linebacker Levine Tupe, Misi’s older brother and perhaps the best defender faced by the Rebels this year. He is supported by Dustin Reid on the line and Angel Castillo in the secondary.
Trend: Since the loss to Dixie, the Revolution has reeled off six straight wins, including blowouts the last two weeks against the Blaze and the Mudd Ducks.
GAME OUTLOOK : Since the first game of the season between these two teams, they have both rattled off six straight wins in similar fashion, routing weaker teams and doing what it takes to squeeze out wins against the tougher teams. The Power Polls have consistently had these teams as the top two teams in the league. Unfortunately, they are also in the same division. So the winner of this game will likely have the top seed, while the loser will drop to the fifth seed and will not host any playoff games. The Rebels have seen steady improvement in their offensive sets, but it is likely that Wasatch has also improved. The key to this game will be in the trenches. These teams will more than likely meet again in the second round of the playoffs. This game will decide on whose field that game will be played on.
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