Sterling, Moline take undefeated conference records into Week 8 Western Big 6 title matchup

STERLING – The stage is set for a 2021 Week 8 rematch this Friday as the 6-1 Sterling Golden Warriors take on the 6-1 Moline Maroons with the Western Big 6 Conference championship on the line.

This year, the Warriors travel to Moline in search of redemption after losing last year’s matchup 38-7 in front of their home crowd at Roscoe Eades Stadium.

Both teams once again occupy the top two spots in the conference with matching 5-0 Western Big 6 records. Sterling has an opportunity to secure at least a share of the conference title with a win.

“It’s a huge goal for us. Last year, they came over here and they flat out beat us, and they played really well,” Sterling coach Jon Schlemmer said. “I think our kids remember that, and two different teams of course, but still, the feeling was not what our kids are used to experiencing. So it’s not going to be easy. They’re not gonna give it back, but our kids have put in the work this week to go over there and compete.”

After losing last year’s game the way they did, this year’s Week 8 contest was highly anticipated for many players on the team.

“I know this game means a lot for both of these guys [Antonio Tablante and Cale Ledergerber],” senior running back/defensive back AJ Kested said. “Not me, necessarily. I know they played in it last year, getting beat and all that, but I know they want to come back and win this game really bad. So I know it means a lot to everyone on our team.”

As the frontrunner for the conference crown, Moline is, unsurprisingly, a well-rounded team. Running back Riley Fuller, who showcased the range of his abilities in a 47-14 Week 6 win over UT with 171 total yards and four touchdowns, will be a focal point for Sterling’s defense this week. Quarterback Grant Sibley is also capable of running the show on offense, Schlemmer says.

“They’re really, really good. This is one of the best teams we’re playing,” Schlemmer said. “They do a lot of things right. They’re coached really well. You can tell how good a team is, how well they’re coached by the way they fake, and their quarterback fakes really well. The way they get lined up, their stances — there’s little things sometimes that might be subtle, but it can tell you kind of how they’re coached. They do little things that separate good teams from really, really good teams.

“They’ve got good running backs. Their offensive line is probably one of the best we’ve seen. Their quarterback does a really nice job running the offense, does what’s asked of him. And then defensively, they just fly at you. They get downhill real quick. Their ends are really good. Their nose is a really darn good player. Linebackers run, DBs too. They’re a complete team.”

Containing Fuller and Moline’s talented backfield will a top a priority this week as Sterling searches for its seventh win of the season and at least a share of the conference championship.

“They’ve got a really good running back,” Kested said. “They’ll run primarily on offense, so we have to be able to prepare for that.”

Noting tendencies, Ledergerber added: “Their safeties crash down hard.”

Winning the line of scrimmage will be crucial against a team with Moline’s talent in the trenches. On both sides of the line, the Warriors will be tested by high-caliber players.

“We have to win up front; we have to win the line of scrimmage, and against really good teams like they are, if you give things up at the point of attack and lose the line of scrimmage, it makes for a long night,” Schlemmer said. “Our kids up front, they’ve been challenged. They can see on film how good they are, but it’s up to those kids to be able to respond to that and go out make plays.”

Establishing the run early and slowing down the Maroons’ ground game will go a long way in fueling a Sterling win this week, senior running back/linebacker Tablante said.

“(We have) to just develop a strong run game off the start, and just stop their run game on defense,” he said. “We just have to come out starting off strong, both halves, and just put them away.”