Dakota Ridge vs. Montrose on Saturday, November 21, 2020 @ 3pm

Quotes from Dakota Ridge Head Coach Ron Woitalewicz: On how the season has gone thus far for the Eagles?

RW: It's been like no other season in 35 years of coaching for me. With all of the new rules, all of the regulations, how many kids can suit up on gameday, it's been a big challenge, but we've handled it very well. Thus far, the team has really come together and all the players have been dedicated to one another and dedicated to football. All of our players have given up a lot of their social life in order to stay safe, stay healthy so we can stay on the field. I think they still feel that last second loss to Broomfield from a year ago which has really fueled the fire for this season and we're looking forward to a great challenge on Saturday. Best team we've played all year in Montrose.

On what he sees in this Saturday's opponent, the Montrose Indians?

RW: Well, looking at the film, they are a tough and physical team. They get after you and they'll get after you for four quarters. Nothing fancy, they're just going to try and pound the ball. They fly around on defense, so tough and just so physical. That's a trademark of their program and we're going to have to buckle up and match their physicality. Just hoping we can play our game, wear them down and pull it out in the fourth quarter.

Does this postseason feel any different or more special with you being the No. 1 seed?

RW: It's been a special run, and it's been a great accomplishment to get that number one seed. I told our players to not feel any added pressure and let's just go out there and do what we do. We have 30 seniors, many of who have been three years starters, so I think they are excited and ready for the challenge. Many of those seniors were around when we lost to Montrose in 2018.

Quotes from Montrose Head Coach Brett Mertens: On how the season has gone thus far for the Indians?

BM: Yeah, being honest… it's been a lot of ups and downs. We had a decent summer, thought we were going to play, then they said no football and we shut everything down. Then we were getting ready for spring, then that got shut down. So with all of the back and forth it's been an emotional roller coaster. When we got the green light to play, we were very excited. Playing football is the best thing these kids could be doing right now. With kids and their mental health, having a chance to play football has been a slice of normal. Those kids are just getting to play the game they love so we're counting our blessings.

On the challenge of having to travel 6-7 hours to play a playoff game?

BM: We're used to it. It can be a little challenging, but only if you let it. For this Saturday and with the weather, it could take us seven or so hours to get there. But honestly, I think a lot of people read into that too much and I don't think it plays a big factor. Our boys are resilient and once you get off the bus and get going, it's just football. We're used to it and it's a part of our routine. If we lose on Saturday, it's not going to be because of the bus ride.

On what he sees in this Saturday's opponent, the Dakota Ridge Eagles?

BM: They are blowing out everybody and there's a reason they are the number one seed. We hope we can matchup though and I hope we can pose some problems with how we run the ball. But they're a great team with a lot of team speed and they've been rolling over everyone. Hopefully we can control the ball, control the situation and keep it close there at the end.