By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
Any signs of vulnerability feel like little more than a distant memory for the Rock Creek Mustangs, who ripped off seven straight wins after a week-one stumble and enter this year’s playoffs ranked as the #3 team in Class 3A.
The Mustang's quest for postseason glory will begin at home this week as Rock Creek prepares to host the 3-5 Clearwater Fighting Indians for a ticket to the round of 16.
“We definitely feel like the real work begins now,” RC head coach Shane Sieben said. “Every week of the regular season is to prepare you for this moment and now you can throw all the records out the window. We did a great job of taking care of business for the last seven weeks to earn the opportunity to host a really good Clearwater team.”
While Coach Sieben remains humble in the press, his Mustangs have posted some unreal numbers this season, with the top-ranked passing (314 yds/g) and total (484 yds/g) offenses in Class 4A and the second-best scoring offense (46.3 ppg) through seven weeks.
Senior signal caller Dalton Whitworth has torched opposing secondaries in 2022, completing 68% of his passes for 2,510 yards and 30 touchdowns while surrendering just a pair of picks.
Whitworth’s favorite target has once again been fellow senior Ethan Burgess, who posted his second-straight 1,000-yard season, breaking Rock Creek records with 78 catches for 1,261 yards and 18 touchdowns in just eight weeks.
“Offensively we just have to continue to execute at a high level,” Sieben said. “We have to keep taking what defenses give us and continue to make good throws while our line gets us creases to make things happen in the run game.”
Throughout the season Rock Creek has relied upon and succeeded in winning shootouts, with a middle-of-the-road scoring defense bending but not breaking in crucial moments.
If the Mustangs can shore things up on that end, the sky is the limit for a Rock Creek team with high aspirations and a laser-focused week-by-week approach.
“We’re not where we want to be yet at all and we have to do a better job of tackling on defense,” he said. “We felt like we were in a position to make a lot of plays on Friday and just didn’t execute so we have to get better there.”
Adding intrigue to this matchup are the comparisons that have been drawn between this year’s Fighting Indian team and last year’s Mustangs.
“Clearwater really reminds me a lot of ourselves last year,” Sieben said. “They have some good skill kids and a quarterback who’s very capable and can spread it out but they’re about 50/50 run pass. They have some good schemes and they’re really well coached.”
Clearwater quarterback Tyler Fugarino has been a prototypical gunslinger this season, posting 1,000+ yards and 9 touchdowns but surrendering 12 picks in the process.
While many teams in Rock Creek’s position would be eyeing a potential round of 16 opponent already, the Mustangs understand the importance of focus in a survive and advance format, and will give the Fighting Indians their best shot on Friday.
“Right now our whole focus is on Clearwater and on finding a way to go 1-0 this week,” Sieben said. It’s win or go home and these guys don’t have any desire to go home. They’re excited to make another run and focused on finding a way to beat Clearwater.”
Kickoff between the Mustangs and Fighting Indians is set for 7 pm at Rock Creek High School with the winner advancing to take on 5-3 Hesston or 3-5 Marysville next week.
For continuing coverage of the Mustang’s playoff run stay tuned to the Salina Post.